The President of Presbyterian University College, Ghana (PUCG), Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Adow Obeng has called for placement of diploma and Graduate Nurses to be based on Competence, Hard Work, Commitment and Dedication and not whether the person was trained in public or private institutions.
He described the seeming differential treatment of nurses in job placement as unfortunate. “There is no justification in this seeming differential treatment, especially when the parents and guardians of these students are taxpayers and all are citizens of Ghana,” he said.
Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Adow Obeng believes that nurses from private institutions are well trained to offer critical service to the country.
In the August 2015 Licensure Examination organized by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana, Ms. Sandra Enohor Akpobome, a student from the Department of Nursing, PUCG emerged as the best candidate (written) in the whole country. He wondered why such good quality products are being denied placement in our clinics and hospitals.
Explaining the need for Government to employ nurses trained in accredited private institutions, the President of PUCG disclosed that the World Health Organisation (WHO) nurse to patient ratio is pegged at 40 to every 10,000 population, but Ghana’s statistics is said to be 22 nurses for every 10,000.
Again, an assessment by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwifery Association revealed in June, 2017 that Ghana will need about 38,000 nurses and midwives to bridge the nurse patient ratio.