By Godfred Aaneamenga Polkuu, GNA
Bolgatanga, June 6, GNA – Madam Winifred Porsaa Wondong, the Principal of the Bolgatanga Nursing Training College has raised concerns about a number of challenges confronting the institution.
She outlined several pressing issues, including low student enrolment, inadequate infrastructure, accommodation shortages, land disputes, and growing concerns over student attrition and substance abuse.
She expressed worry that these issues could adversely affect academic standards, accreditation prospects, student welfare, and the overall growth of the college if not addressed.
Madam Wondong was speaking at the matriculation ceremony for fresh students admitted for the 2025/2026 academic year.
She said out of 541 applicants, 428, representing 79.1 per cent, attended a selection interview, of those interviewed, 347 applicants, representing 81 per cent, were admitted, but only 272 students eventually enrolled in the college’s three-year Registered General Nursing programme.
The Principal attributed the low enrolment figures partly to the institution’s limited programme offerings, noting that despite its strategic location in the regional capital, the college was becoming less attractive to prospective applicants.
She disclosed that six students had already withdrawn from the programme and expressed concern that the number could increase before the current cohort graduated.
Madam Wondong also highlighted the college’s severe accommodation challenges, explaining that inadequate hostel facilities had led to overcrowding, poor ventilation, and excessive heat conditions for students.
She described the sight of students gathering outside their hostel rooms in the afternoons to escape the heat as both troubling and heartbreaking.
“Each time I came out of my office in the late afternoon, especially during the peak of the hot season, I was saddened by the sight of male students sitting against the hostel walls trying to catch some fresh air,” she said.
She noted that an abandoned foundation project, originally intended for lecture halls and hostel facilities, could significantly ease the accommodation burden if completed.
The Principal also expressed concern about the deteriorating condition of the college auditorium, and said structural experts had advised management to discontinue its use because of safety concerns, but the institution lacks an alternative venue for large gatherings and academic activities.
She pointed to an acute shortage of lecture halls, describing the situation as one requiring urgent attention.
“As a matter of fact, this problem requires immediate action. The congestion in our lecture halls could negatively affect the college’s prospects of securing accreditation,” she said.
Touching on longstanding land litigation and the absence of a perimeter fence, Madam Wondong said the challenges continued to hinder the institution’s development and compromised campus security.
She explained that unrestricted access to the campus by motorists, riders and stray animals posed safety risks to both students and staff.
The situation, she added, made it difficult to maintain a clean environment, as waste from surrounding communities was often blown onto the campus.
The Principal revealed that the college operated with a limited fleet of ageing vehicles, many of which frequently broke down and incurred high maintenance costs, and said even the institution’s newest vehicle, acquired in 2014, had suffered repeated mechanical faults.
Madam Wondong appealed to stakeholders, government agencies, alumni, and development partners to support efforts aimed at addressing the college’s numerous challenges.
She said such support would help improve infrastructure, strengthen academic standards, enhance student welfare, and ensure the institution’s long-term sustainability.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/Linda Asante Agyei
Reporter: Godfred Aaneamenga Polkuu