The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) is cautioning the government not to re-introduce the Community Health Workers (Zoom Nurses). It said this could spell doom for the Nursing Profession.
This comes after the Association’s attention was drawn to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) for the re-introduction of the modular six month training of Community Health Workers popularly referred as (zoom Nurses).
Speaking on ‘Ebaanosen’ on Plan B FM with Bohyeba Afriyie, Public Relations Officer of the association, Joseph Krapah said the Nursing profession is not a six-month training profession, but requires a period of theoretical training and practice as stipulated by the Regulatory Body, that is the Nursing and Midwifery Council before a person can become a qualified Nurse.
“Now they said they want to recruit those who have successfully completed the NAC/NAP program, the question is when? In addition, what about those who have also completed their national service and are currently at home. We need the best, Barbados always demand highly skilled Nurses, Midwifes and degree Nurses anytime they are outsourcing Nurses from Ghana,” he pointed out.
This according to him is because; research has shown that when one attains a higher education in Nursing and midwifery it reduces the death rate in hospitals. “Therefore, what I am saying is that we shouldn’t jeopardize our health system by recruiting half-fit people because of political expediency. How can you use six months to train somebody to come and render health services, it is wrong. Have you seen any zoom Doctor in the country?” he quizzed as he ended his interview with Plan-B FM.
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