By Stanley Senya
Accra, Oct. 8, GNA – The Ghana College of Nurses and Midwives (GCNM) has renewed its call for increased investment, collaboration, and innovation to strengthen specialist nursing and midwifery education and improve healthcare delivery in Ghana.
Professor Victoria Bam, President of the College, made the call at the opening of the 10th Annual General Meeting and 5th Scientific Conference of the GCNM, held at the Pentecost Convention Centre at Gomoa Fetteh in the Central Region.
Professor Bam said achieving national and global health goals required increased human and material investment, supported by innovative approaches and multi-sectoral collaboration to expand specialist training and improve the delivery of specialized care.
She said the conference would feature scientific, evidence-based presentations and workshops focused on developing knowledge and skills to support the transformation of the health sector.
Professor Bam commended the dedication of the College’s newly inducted members and associate members, who had successfully completed their residency programmes and ready to contribute to healthcare improvement in their respective institutions.
“This year, we inducted 19 members and 553 associate members into the College, and we will be inducting additional residents who have met the required academic and professional standards,” she said.
She said the College had held three pre-conference webinars on academic writing, clinical leadership and governance, and systematic reviews in health research, as part of efforts to strengthen the research capacity of residents.
Professor Bam also praised members of the College who had earned national and international awards for excellence in nursing and midwifery, describing their achievements as a reflection of the College’s growing impact.
On behalf of the College, she expressed appreciation to stakeholders and partners, including the Ministry of Health (MoH), the Ghana Health Service (GHS), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), SickKids Hospital, and Global Affairs Canada, for their continued support.
She appealed for additional support from government and development partners to expand infrastructure and increase access to specialist training, which she said remained critical to transforming healthcare delivery.
Mrs. Gloria Achempim-Asong, Rector of the College, in a presentation on the state of the institution, said the GCNM had made significant progress since its establishment, offering 38 specialist programmes under four divisions, Nursing, Midwifery, Mental Health, and Public Health.
She said enrolment had steadily increased, with 580 nurses and midwives admitted in the 2024/2025 academic year compared to 386 the previous year. The 2025/2026 admissions, she noted, had attracted 833 applicants across associate and membership levels.
Mrs. Achempim-Asong said the College currently operated across three zones, which were Southern, Middle, and Northern, with over 62 accredited training centres nationwide, including major teaching hospitals in Accra, Kumasi, Tamale, and Cape Coast.
She disclosed that a total of 86 Associate Members, 265 Members, and 15 Fellows were being inducted into the College at the ongoing meeting.
The Rector noted that the College continued to receive strong stakeholder support, particularly from the MoH, GHS, Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), and the Nursing and Midwifery Council (N&MC), in the areas of infrastructure, admissions, and professional placement.
However, she identified funding challenges and migration among trainees as major constraints.
“Specialist education is expensive, and many residents struggle to afford it. Added to this is the worrying trend of migration, which affects the completion rate of our programmes,” she said.
Mrs. Achempim-Asong appealed to the government and partners to support the College’s infrastructural development, particularly the construction of its permanent office complex on a two-acre land located at the University of Ghana.
She said the College remained focused on strengthening its faculty through fellowship programmes, expanding access through the accreditation of more training centres, securing sponsorships for residency training, and deepening both local and international partnerships.
GNA
Christian Akorlie