The Ranking Member of the Health Committee in Parliament, Hon. Kwabena Mintah-Akandoh has stated that the calendar of the Colleges of Health will be negatively affected if the directive by the Ministry of Health to reserve 30 percent of admission spots for government to fill is not withdrawn immediately.
According to him, the Heads of the nursing institutions have suspended their admissions due to the new directive by the Ministry of Health.
In an interview on Oman Yi Mu Nsem, with the host, Alhassan Bin Jibril Spelele on OilCity Radio in Kwesimintsim- Takoradi, Hon Mintah-Akandoh who doubles as the Member of Parliament for Juaboso mentioned that the directive also will affect Senior High School graduates who intend to go into nursing after school.
“This directive will not help the free SHS policy… because for a country which enrols a lot of students at the secondary level… you should expect that a large number will be enrolled in the tertiary institute …so any gov’t implementing such policy should ensure you increase access to the tertiary institute…” he said.
He stated that the Health Committee in Parliament is yet to deliberate on the issue due to Parliament’s recess however, “we have asked the ministry to withdraw the directive immediately and we are expecting them to respond positively, if not we will invite them the hearing ..then the next will follow.”
The Juaboso legislator explained that as part of the negative implications, the directive will make room for protocol admissions for party apparatchiks “people with deep pocket and those who under normal circumstances will not gain admissions to these training colleges, so I insist let the nursing handle the admissions themselves.”
He noted that it is inappropriate for the ministry to ask student interviewees to pay GHS150 before prospective students get interviewed.
“Per the Appropriation Act, monies raised by the institution should be used to cater for the institution…and why should a student pay monies to be interviewed…what does that mean? …even with the forms, I have a problem with it and that is my personal view…why should you sell a thousand forms when you know you will only admit a hundred students?… It’s not right!” he fumed.
He added that the primary reason for the directive is due to government’s inability to pay allowances.
