Felix Nyante
The Nursing & Midwifery Council (N&MC) has been explaining the circumstances under which a nurse and midwife was suspended for three years by the Governing Board of the N&MC.
The council, which is responsible for the regulation of nursing and midwifery profession in the country, said it took the decision after preliminary inquiry reports pointed to a breach of professional standards and malpractice on the part of the two professionals in providing healthcare to their clients.
The suspended health professionals are Sarah Serwah Major, a registered midwife and owner of Craddle Care Maternity Hospital Trust at Spintex road, and Madam Susana Adu, an enrolled nurse at the Doku Memorial Clinic, both in Accra.
Registrar of the N&MC, Felix Nyante, who explained the events leading to their suspension, stated that two complainants (names withheld) on different occasions requested investigation into the conduct of the health professionals when they visited their facilities for medical attention.
He added that the first complainant is a pregnant woman while the second is a father who lost the son.
Mr. Nyante said based on the findings of the investigations, Mrs. Major breached professional standards of practice for registered midwives and also failed to observe the standard guidelines for referral of patients and the national guidelines for recording and reporting births.
The Governing Board of the N&MC, as part of its sanctions, directed Mrs. Major to undergo continuous professional development training after serving the period of suspension.
“The professional and disciplinary committee of the Governing Board in its inquiry found that Madam Adu had engaged in instances of professional malpractice. The 14th Governing Board, based on the recommendations of the committee, took a decision to suspend the enrolled nurse for a period of three years, retrieve her enrolled General Nurse certificate for the period of suspension and must not be issued with a license to practice during the period of her suspension,” he revealed.
Mr. Nyante indicated that each practitioner has professional responsibility to work in accordance with the relevant standards and codes.
He, therefore, advised all practitioners to uphold the nursing and midwifery professions and exhibit professionalism in the discharge of their duties.
The registrar called on the general public and the media to report any case of professional misconduct or breach of professional standards by nurses and midwives to the Nursing & Midwifery Council for the necessary actions to be taken.
According to the 14th Governing Board, “During the period of suspension, Mrs. Sarah Serwah Major, who is the midwife and owner of Craddle Care Maternity Hospital Trust and Madam Susana Adu, the enrolled General Nurse who worked at the Doku Memorial Clinic, all in Accra, shall not hold themselves as registered midwife and registered enrolled nurse respectively or render, or purport to render any professional healthcare services to the public.”
The Governing Board of the N&MC, in addition, has ordered the two health practitioners to return their licence to practise cards and certificates of registration to the registrar of the Nursing & Midwifery Council.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri