in the country would use a revised curriculum with effect from this academic year.

Ms Veronica Darko, Registrar of Nurses and Midwives Council of Ghana, announced this at the maiden graduation of Midwifery/Health Assistants Training School at Atibie on Saturday. She explained that the reviewed curriculum launched at the weekend, incorporated changing trends in the practice of the profession to meet current societal needs in view of increased technological advancement and patient's bill of right.

Ms Darko was optimistic that the inclusion of behavioural change communication in the new curriculum would equip the trainee nurses and midwives with adequate knowledge and skills to change the behaviour of their clients as well as their attitudes towards patients and clients. She said the new curriculum included topics that would help in inculcating in nurses and midwives knowledge that would help the country to achieve the Millennium Development Goals in the health sector. Major Courage Quashigah (rtd), Minister of Health, in a speech read on his behalf advised nurses and midwives who had planned to leave the country to have a second thought in order not to regret in future. He said with the expansion of infrastructure at the various nursing and midwifery training institutes in the country, it would not be easy for nurses and midwives who left the service earlier to re-enter when they desired.

Major Quashigah noted that currently there were 2,800 practicing midwives in hospitals, but the country required 3,500 midwives supported by 15,000 midwives' assistants to achieve middle-income status and help reduce the rate of maternal mortality. He advised the graduates not to be satisfied with what they had achieved but endeavour to improve on their profession. Mr Kwadwo Afram-Asiedu, Eastern Regional Minister, advised the newly graduated midwives to accept postings to rural areas where their services were mostly needed.

He appealed to them to work with selfless devotion and dedication and urged the Ministry of Health to re-introduce the Nurse of the Year award scheme to motivate nurses and midwives. Mrs Paulina Osabutey, Principal of the School, said 44 out of 57 candidates presented to the 2005 Licensure examinations passed with five of them obtaining credits, 13 were referred and scored 79.3 per cent. She said 60 out of 62 candidates presented to the 2006 Licensure examination, passed with five obtaining credits, two were referred and scored 96.5 per cent.

Mrs Osabutey expressed appreciation to government for improvement in infrastructure in the school and called for early completion of the new classroom block and hostel. She said problems facing the school were, accommodation for teachers and students, inadequate staffing, lack of means of transport and appealed to Ministry of Health, Kwahu South District Assembly and Kwahu Traditional Council to assist the school. Mrs Osabutey said other problems were acute shortage of water supply and appealed to individuals, organisations and institutions to donate water tanks to the school to harvest rain. Daasebre Akuamoah Boateng, Omanhene of Kwahu Traditional Area, called on MOH and the assembly to help solve some of the problems facing the school. He advised the graduates not to use strike action to back their demands for better service conditions but abide by their professional oath to negotiate for their needs. 21 Oct. 07