The first Scientific and General meeting of the Fellowship of the Ghana College of Nurses and Midwives (GCNM) has opened at Gomoa Fetteh in the Central Region.

The five-day event brought together fellows, associates, nurses, midwives, Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Services, programme managers and policy makers, local and international partners to discuss and strategise towards a strong specialist nursing and midwifery education.

The move is intended to address the contemporary health care needs of Ghanaians, especially Africans and beyond through the application of quality health care approaches in the development of professionals towards the acquisition of optimal, innovative, leadership, clinical and research competencies.

It was on the theme: “Specialist Nursing and Midwifery Education and Practice: Relevance in contemporary quality health care in Ghana, and beyond.”

Dr (Mrs) Jemima Dennis-Antwi, the President of GCNM, said a five-year partnership with The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Toronto in Canada had enabled members to GCNM trained 500 Paediatric Associate Members, 1000 nurses, midwives and allied health professionals in Continuous Professional Development programmes and 25 Clinical Nurse Educators.

The focus on 50 per cent coming from underserved regions and communities in Ghana.

She said administratively, the College had grown from a one-man led to a staff of about 20 representing both academic, projects related and administrative personnel with the commensurate Single Spine structure assigned by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission.

She said the Academic Board of the College and the various faculties are in place.

She expressed gratitude to the Directors of Nursing Services for Korle-Bu, Komfo Anokye and Tamale Teaching Hospitals, Pantang for their devotion to the cause of the College.

“Through their leadership we have been able to have clinical placements for our residents and soon our associates in spite of the odds.”

Dr Pam Hubley, VP Education and Academic Practice Chief, International Nursing SicKids, Toronto, Canada charged the nurses and midwives and other medical professionals to hold on to their values and exhibit leadership skills and qualities to deliver and promote quality healthcare services.

In a speech read on his behalf, Mr Alex Segbefia, Minister of Health commended hard working nurses and midwives for the immense role they play in bringing relief and healthcare to Ghanaians.

The ceremony witnessed an induction and swearing-in ceremony for 180 new foundation fellows into their fold making a total of 510 or more, and140 foundation associates from the fields of pre-operative and critical care, ophthalmic, public health nursing, midwifery, paediatrics and Ear and Throat were also received.

Twenty-one Nurses in Paediatric Nursing of the first cohort of Associate Residents were also matriculated into the College.

An endowment fund for the GCNM to raise its own permanent sites and Complex was also launched.

GCNM is a body corporate with perpetual succession established by the provisions of the Specialist Health Training and Plant Medicine Research Act 833 2011 (Part Three).

Its mission is to promote specialist education, continuous professional development and postgraduate nursing, midwifery and related programmes and contribute to the formulation of policies to improve health outcomes.