Ho Nursing Training College launches 50th anniversary Celebration

The Ho Nursing Training College (NTC) has launched its 50th Anniversary celebration in the regional capital, Ho, under the theme “Academic excellence for quality nursing care: A concern for all.” The anniversary, which would be celebrated in October this year, has attracted a number of dignitaries, including chiefs from the region.

The launch of the Ho Nursing Training College anniversary celebration was aimed at raising funds to build a modern hostel to be called “Golden Hostel” to mark the occasion. The Agbogbomefia of the Asogli Traditional Area, Togbe Afede XIV, who could not be present at the programme, donated GH¢5,000 to the school, through a Divisional Chief of Asogli, Togbe Kassa, towards the celebration.

The Ho NTC, according to available records, has trained 4,922 nurses since its establishment 50 years ago, who have since been playing crucial roles in health care delivery, not only in the Volta Region, but also across the country. The Principal of Ho NTC, Mrs. Josephine Ansu-Gyeabour, thanked her predecessors for their hard work and determination that had led to the growth and development of the institute in the face of the numerous infrastructure problems, and called for the necessary support from all stakeholders, including the government, to address them.

Mrs. Ansu-Gyeabour mentioned overcrowding in the classrooms, inadequate buses for the school, and the non-resident status of the majority of students, as only 20 percent of the students were accommodated on campus. She further said that the deplorable state of the access road in the school called for urgent attention to aid effective teaching and learning, as well as administrative work.

CIMG3831The school, the Principal said, had only one hostel, leaving the majority of its students to live outside the school, and appealed to the Ministry of Health to help resolve these challenges, especially the provision of student hostels, which was the focus of the fundraising.

She added that the management of the college was ready to collaborate with construction firms which were prepared to build hostels and staff accommodation for the school, under a build, operate and transfer arrangement. The Volta Regional Minister, Madam Helen Adwoa Ntoso, commended the founding fathers of the college for their foresight that made it possible for the institution to grow to the current status.

She stated that 50 years of nursing education was a great achievement, in view of the number of professional nurses were trained there and were saving lives across the country and beyond. Madam Ntoso assured the staff, students, and management that the educational infrastructure problems confronting the college would be tackled jointly by the Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC) and the government, to ensure that adequate facilities, including classrooms among others, were provided.

CIMG3836The Deputy Volta Regional Director in charge of Clinical Care, Mr. Robert Adatsi, noted that the 50 years achievement of the Ho Nurses Training College could not be over emphasised. He added that nursing was basically the skill of caring for the sick and injured, which required the highest level of commitment, dedication, and self denial, to be able to meet the demands of quality nursing being demanded by clients in the 21st Century.

Mr. Adatsi observed that the qualities of nursing were most of the time missing in many nurses in recent times, which was a major problem to many stakeholders. He further pointed out that the issue of the standard of nursing trainees, as well as the quality of nursing care being practiced at the various health facilities, should be of much concern to all.

He noted that the theme for the anniversary celebration, “Academic Excellence for Quality Care; A Concern for All”, was most appropriate, because for some time now, the standard of education in the Nursing Training Colleges had fallen, due to multi-sectoral factors. Adding that nursing education in the region, most especially the low pass rate, was of concern to the Regional Health Directorate.

Mr. Adatsi continued that as a result, a stakeholder’s conference was organised to determine the factors responsible for the poor academic performance, in order to adopt effective strategies to improve the situation, and it was identified at the forum that the environments at the nursing training schools were not conducive for teaching and learning. He stressed that as the standard of nursing education falls, the pass rate declines, with the number of qualified nurses posted to health facilities also declining.

CIMG3834Mr. Adatsi noted that the negative development was directly affecting the quality of care at the health facilities, because the nursing requirements were not met for the expected quality service delivery, as the challenges facing the training of nurses in recent times were varied and diverse. A Member of the Council of State, Togbe Binah Lawluvi, commended the managements of the colleges for their efforts to train a high level of human resources relevant to national development.

Meanwhile, the Ho Nursing Training College and entire township have been thrown into the state of mourning over the death of four students and a driver in an accident. The students were allegedly travelling from Ho to Aburi on an excursion, when the bus in which they were crashed near Aburi in the Eastern Region, resulting in their untimely deaths.