Koforidua, Dec. 17, GNA-The Director of Nursing Services, Mr George Kumi-Kyeremeh, has called for the establishment of Ghana College of Nursing and Midwifery to pave way for specialization within the nursing profession.

He explained that, specialization would help the country to achieve good health outcomes and international standards, especially,the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Mr Kumi-Kyeremeh was speaking at the matriculation of the 2011/2012 academic year batch of the Koforidua Nursing and Midwifery Training College on Thursday.

He urged nurses and midwives not to perceive themselves as lower caliber of staff, just following and taking instructions but should be well informed and confident to correct and challenge medical instructions if they fall short of required standards since their work is a team-work and have collective responsibility to ensure patients safety.

Mr Kumi-Kyeremeh observed that, the Ghanaian nurse is now faced with emerging diseases that require new skills and knowledge to manage and coupled with technological advancement required that the nurses need to up-date their knowledge and practice.

He urged the new students to take full advantage of the opportunity offered them and study hard and reminded them that they have a collective responsibility to help create conducive environment that would facilitate teaching and learning while in school.

In a speech read on his behalf, the Eastern Regional Minister, Dr Kwasi Akyem Apea-Kubi, assured that the Government would complete all projects started in the school by the previous government and initiate new ones.

He said already the Government had presented a pick-up and a bus to the college to help solve some of the transportation problems facing the school.

Dr Apea-Kubi said since 2008, the Government had initiated over 74 health and sanitation projects in the Eastern Region estimated at over three million Ghana Cedis to enhance health delivery in the region.

He said the projects include the construction of X-ray departments, laboratories, emergency wards and others.

Earlier in a welcoming address, the Principal of the Koforidua Nursing/Midwifery Training College, Mrs Doreen Osae Ayensu, appealed to government to subsidize the payment of utility bills.

She also called for support to enable the college to complete the fence wall to help ward off thieves and lunatics.