A section of nurses at a health event
Vice Chancellor of the Wisconsin University College of Ghana (WUCG), Prof. Obeng Mireku, has appealed to the government and stakeholder organisations to reconsider its decision in beginning the quota admission systems for nursing students come next academic year.
According to him, there is still a critical shortage of nurses in Ghana, in the sub-region, in Africa and in many parts of the world.
He said if the government cannot afford to absorb all the nursing graduates, bilateral agreements could be entered into with countries which require this invaluable human resource.
“Instead of reducing the number of nurses trained, why don’t we rather set up world-class health facilities and provide nurses with training in specialist areas, so that we can create a thriving health tourism industry as countries like Malaysia, Singapore and South Africa have done,” Prof. Mireku added.
He stated that other entrepreneurship models such as providing home care services for the infirm could also assist in decongesting hospitals.
“There are many solutions at our disposal, but deterring people from pursuing their dreams should not be one of them. It is better to have educated people without jobs than uneducated people without jobs,” he reiterated.
In all, a total of 898 students made up of 13 diploma students, 761 first degree students and 124 postgraduate students graduated from the WUCG this year.
Prof. Mireku was speaking at the 11th congregation ceremony of the WIUC Ghana on the theme: ‘youth empowerment, creating a credible and reliable workforce in the 21st century’.
He said the theme speaks of the urgent and critical need for all stakeholders to empower and equip young people particularly with the skills and knowledge they need to survive and thrive in the 21st century.
“One of the best solutions for unemployment and poverty in Africa is education. However, we must reform our education curricula so that young people are taught skills relevant to the 21st century. They must be equipped with entrepreneurial skills so that they are taught how to create work, not just how to get jobs,” Prof. Mireku highlighted.
The nursing trainees’ quota system is a directive by the Ministry of Health (MoH) to reduce the intake of nursing trainees by the accredited public and private training institutions as a means of producing quality nurses to meet the demands of the health sector, as well as the unemployment of health professionals.
By Abigail Owiredu-Boateng