By Prince Acquah
Cape Coast, June 03, GNA – Professor Johnson Nyarko Boampong, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), has charged newly graduated midwives of the university to consistently upgrade their skills to deliver their duties effectively.
He entreated them to keep learning and never stop exploring because the profession was fast advancing with new methods, technologies, and knowledge emerging every day.
“So, as you embark on this new chapter, make a commitment to ongoing professional development, keeping abreast of new developments and approaches to caring for mothers and babies,” he said.
Prof Nyarko Boampong was addressing the eighth session of the University’s 55th Congregation, which honoured 1,750 midwives from 27 Nursing and Midwifery Training Colleges (NMTCs) across the country affiliated with the UCC.
The graduands completed their Top-up Diploma in Midwifery programme in 2022 and were the seventh cohort of graduating students since UCC agreed with the Ministry of Health to run the programme.
A total of 277 got first class, 884 had second class upper, 394 second class lower, 148 had third class, and 47 graduated with a pass.
Ms Kate Agyakomah was the Best Graduating Student with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.0.
Prof Boampong said being a midwife was not just a job but a calling, which required that they would be dedicated to the wellbeing of both mothers and babies during and after childbirth.
“You will be the first person a mother turns to for support and advice when experiencing the joys and fears of becoming a mother. Your work will be challenging, yet noble and inspiring,” he said.
Celebrating the contribution of UCC to the health sector, he noted that the university had trained many health professionals for the country and beyond.
Since 2019, it had successfully trained more than 10,000 midwives who were supporting Ghana’s health system in various facilities across the country.
The university had cutting-edge and innovative programmes in almost all health disciplines and runs several programmes for health professionals and staff of training institutions.
“Through the Institutional Affiliation Office, the Department of Population and Health is running a Doctor of Philosophy (Population and Health) in three centres for staff of health training institutions in Accra, Kumasi and Tamale,” Prof Nyarko Boampong said.
In addition to a raft of measures, he said the university had engaged the Health Training Institutions Secretariat to extend UCC’s e-library services to all institutions under the secretariat.
“Plans are far advanced for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the University and Ministry of Health for the implementation of this service,” he said.
The Vice-Chancellor commended all stakeholders, including the Minister of Health, Mr Kwaku Agyemang Manu, for their support of the cause of the UCC, particularly the College of Health and Allied Sciences.
He pledged the university’s commitment to working with all stakeholders in the health sector to train highly professional and motivated personnel to provide quality health care to Ghana and other African countries.
GNA