By Godfred Aaneamenga Polkuu
Bolgatanga, Oct. 28, GNA – The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) of Ghana, has asked students of the Midwifery Training College (MTC) in Bolgatanga to take their studies and practical sessions seriously devoid of short-cuts.
The Council said half-baked midwives in the country would pose major threat to the healthcare delivery system with the tendency to increase maternal and neonatal mortalities.
Mrs Philomina Adjoa Nyarkoa Woolley, the Registrar of the NMC, made the call when she addressed staff and students of the college as part of her working visit to health training institutions across the country.
The Registrar, in the company of Dr Mary Ama Opare, the Board Chair of the Council and other top officials, noted that midwifery was basically practical, and urged the students to, “Always visit the labour ward to gain practical experience and not cut corners.
“If you cut corners and eventually complete, and meet a woman bleeding, you cannot manage her because you didn’t learn it well. So, learn well so that you will be able to reduce maternal and neonatal deaths,” Mrs Woolley said.
She reminded the students that they came to the college individually, and further admonished them against bad company saying, “You came to school individually, so do not take friends that will lead you to doom. Befriend people who will make our lives easy and progressive.”
The Registrar observed that the College environment was conducive for learning and insisted that all the students needed to do was learn, pass their examination and graduate as highly skilled and qualified midwives for improved quality service delivery.
“I assure you that when you learn well, you will pass well,” Mrs Woolley told the students.
Dr Opare on her part, emphasised that midwives played pivotal roles in the healthcare delivery system and must, therefore, uphold professional ethics and exhibit professionalism in service delivery, especially on the labour ward.
She said the Regional Hospital was a walking distance from the college and advised the students to regularly visit the ward at their leisure time to gain more experience and witness labour cases including twin labour and delivery, transverse presentation, among others.
“These are extra experiences you can gain and apply in your practice,” she told them, and reiterated that cutting corners and truant acts, especially during practical sessions were unacceptable in their training, for they could not gamble with human life.
Dr Opare noted that there were several opportunities in the midwifery profession and urged the students to aspire for higher heights in the profession and wished them well in their endeavours.
Madam Margaret Azusiyinne, the Vice Principal of the college, thanked the Board and management of the NMC for the visit and pieces of advice to the students.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/Linda Asante Agyei