The nurses training college in Damongo has held it’s 16th Matriculation ceremony at Damongo in the west Gonja municipality of the savannah region.
The ceremony was held at the schools premises on Thursday, 15th March, 2023 to induct into the school some 400 fresh students comprising 272 females and 128 males who gained admissions into the school for the 2022/2023 academic year.
A total of 211 of the fresh students were admitted into the Registered Nurse Assistant Clinical programme and a 189 of them into the Registered General Nursing programme who during Matriculation, formally pledge their allegiance to the authority of the college and that of the nursing and midwifery council of Ghana through the matriculation oath.
This year, the school received over 1,500 applications out of which number the 400 qualified applicants were selected.
In addressing the students, the principal of the school, Hajia Rabi Iddrisu explained that, the college currently runs two accredited programmes which includes the registered nurse assistant clinical (RNAC) and registered general nursing (RGN) Programmes.
She disclosed that the registered midwifery programme will soon be added to the list of accredited programmes to be runed by the college at the beginning of the 2023/2024 academic year after obtaining approval from the Ministry of health and the Nursing and midwifery council of Ghana who are the verge of finalizing accreditation processes with the Ghana tertiary education commission.
Hajia Rabi also disclosed that, plans are far advanced to also start running a first degree programme in the not too distant future and therefore called on all stakeholders and well wishers of the college to continue to support the school in all ways possible to enable them achieve this realities.
He noted that, the major challenge faced by the college in achieving their lofty dreams includes the need for physical infrastructure in the form of classrooms, skills laboratories, hostel facilities and quite obviously, a fence wall.
Adding to the challenges of the school, the principal said the are also in dire need of a new pick-up and a bus to facilitate the transportation needs of staff and students to and from their clinical areas.
She appreciated the regional Minister, Hon Saeed Muaz Jibril for securing a GetFund sponsored hostel storey facility for the college, the Minister for lands and Natural Resources and member of Parliament for Damongo, Hon Samuel Abu Jinapor for the donating 10 brand new desktop computers to the college in fulfilment of a pledge made to the college.
The Principal however lamented on the poor performance of Nursing students across the country, saying “the number of nursing students cited for poor academic performance is reaching an unimaginable number throughout the country” but stated that the Damongo nursing college is known for its high academic standards and that, they have no intentions to lose that enviable attribute and therefore encourage students to study hard by directing all their energies to their academic and professional work to enable them graduate as successful professional nurses.
While addressing the students, the West Gonja Municipal Chief executive, Hon. Musah Karim Kusubari thanked the principal and staff of the Damongo nurses training college for their patience and commitment to duty at the college and urged the matriculants to be guided by the principles of the school as they are inducted into the school.
He said many of them were assisted by politicians to gain their admissions and that it is now their tern to justify their continuous stay into the school and therefore urged them to take their studies serious so as to have a successful completion without any misfortunes.
The West Gonja MCE also cautioned the students to be mindful that they came to the school individually and so they will return.
He noted that the nursing profession is a discipline one that has no room for undisciplined and non – serious students as what is taught them in the classroom is exactly what they will come across in their of practice and urged them to abreast themselves with all that is taught them either in the classroom or during their clinical services.
He assured that, he will use his office to provide for the school, a 3 – unit classroom block as the school prepares to commence it’s midwifery programme in the 2023/2024 academic year.
This year’s matriculation ceremony was attended by the Savannah regional education Director, rep of the Regional Director, heads of Departments among others.
Source: Padfm.com.gh/Kumatey Gorden/0243531604
