The University of Ghana’s School of Nursing and Midwifery has wrapped up a month-long celebration of its 60th anniversary under the theme, "Resilience in Developing Nursing and Midwifery Workforce; Embracing Technology and Excellence."
The events marking the anniversary included a launch, an exhibition of scholarly articles and alumni interaction, as well as a health walk, float and health screening exercise. There was also a dinner followed by a thanksgiving service at the Legon Interdenominational Church.
At a grand durbar that climaxed the anniversary celebration, President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, acknowledged the invaluable contributions of the management, faculty, staff, students, and alumni of the School of Nursing and Midwifery in propelling the institution to its current status.
H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
President Akufo-Addo highlighted the critical role of Nurses and Midwives in the healthcare delivery system, underscoring the need to adapt to changing conditions and remain focused and positive in the face of adversity.
President Akufo-Addo urged the public to fully embrace the initiatives of the School and take advantage of programmes offered through different modes. As a result, a better skilled cadre of Nurses and Midwives will be developed, capable of applying research and innovative techniques in their area.
A cross-section of guests at the Durbar
He passionately appealed to Nurses and Midwives to accept postings to accredited regional and district hospitals, where their services are needed the most.
Expressing gratitude, the President commended all Nurses and Midwives for their extraordinary courage and resilience in helping the population overcome the recent Covid-19 pandemic. He praised their commitment, stating that it was in line with the best traditions of the Nursing profession in Ghana and reiterated his government's unwavering support for good health and quality education, stressing its importance to the nation's progress.
His Excellency Akufo-Addo announced the donation of a bus to the School to aid in the transportation of students for their clinicals.
Prof. Felix Ankomah Asante, Pro-Vice-Chancellor in charge of Research Innovation and Development, on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, commended the School's growth and its alignment with the University of Ghana's strategic plan, developing postgraduate programmes and fostering research initiatives.
Prof. Felix Ankomah Asante
Prof. Asante echoed the theme of the celebration, noting that it describes the School's journey as the pacesetter and hallmark for Nursing and Midwifery education in the country.
Prof. James Avoka Asamani, Team lead for Health Workforce, WHO Africa, shared insights derived from his extensive research on the health workforce in Ghana, along with experiences from other countries and the ongoing Ghanaian academic discourse.
A cross-section of guests at the Durbar
Prof. Asamani highlighted several known and predicted issues that pose challenges to the stability of the nursing and midwifery workforce in Ghana and suggested that the Nursing and Midwifery Council should make it mandatory for all lecturers teaching clinical subjects to have clinical practices as part of their mandatory courses.
He again stated the need to invest in education and employment for Nurses and Midwives by setting up a “Nursing Research and Innovation Fund” to stimulate and sustain Nursing research and innovation.
Prof. Asamani also encouraged the School of Nursing and Midwifery to come up with guidelines on how students will ethically use AI systems to learn and how tutors can use them in teaching.
Prior to the durbar, a Public Lecture was held on the theme of the anniversary celebration, delivered by Professor Aaron Asibi Abuosi, Associate Professor in the Department of Public Administration and Health Services Management at the University of Ghana Business School. He provided in-depth information and insights into the meaning of Nursing, citing various scholars including, the “Mother of Nursing”, Florence Nightingale.
He emphasised that technology is an indispensable tool for the future and progress of the profession. According to him, the emergence of technological tools like the temperature gun, the sphygmomanometer, which is used to measure blood pressure and many more have come to stay and as such, students need to learn how to use them in order to take care of patients.
Prof. Abuosi however acknowledged that there are some downsides to the emergence of Technology by stating that, “the effects of having technology in the long term will mean the eventual use of only technology in our health services rather than human practitioners”.
He encouraged nurses to diversify their careers by studying other programmes such as Law and Business Administration. This, he emphasised, would empower them to better advocate for the rights of nurses.
There was also an interactive session during which the audience asked questions and contributed to the lecture.
The month-long anniversary began with a launch, at which the Provost of the College of Health Sciences, Prof. Julius Fobil, expressed his joy at the School's incredible achievement and pledged his unwavering support as it strives to reach even greater heights in the future.
He also mentioned that in the early phases of the School of Nursing and Midwifery, the Nursing programme was not appealing to students; however, it is now one of the Schools in the University with a high number of student admissions.
The Dean of the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Prof. Florence Naab, also speaking at the launch, stated that the School which is the cornerstone for Nursing and Midwifery education in Ghana is poised to explore possibilities and innovations that lie outside the traditional scope of operations. This, she noted, will help establish structures that will stand the test of time and deliver the best of services to the current population.
The Special Guest of Honour for the launch was Hon. Alhaji Mahama Seini, Deputy Minister for Health, who in his address stated his joy in celebrating the all-important and memorable milestone in the history of the School of Nursing and Midwifery.
The events marking the celebration were attended by alumni, faculty, staff, students and the public.
Congratulations to the School of Nursing and Midwifery for 60 years of providing sound training to Ghana’s Nursing and Midwifery Workforce.
