Accra, Jan. 11, GNA - Dr. Owusu Achaw Duah, Director and Founder of the Martin Luther Health Training School, has said a more skilled workforce in the health care industry was essential of the growth of the country's economy.

"A comprehensive skills strategy in the industry is therefore needed to meet health care demands of the century," he said. Dr. Duah said this on Saturday at the first matriculation ceremony for 110 students of the school who had training in nursing and health care assistants.

He said in order to meet such demand, a new framework was required to address issues such as capacity building, funding and labour needs.

"This framework, among other things, would need an active private sector involvement both in the training and service needs in the health care industry, and this calls for the establishment of private health institutions to augment government's effort", he said.

He said the school was poised and committed to provide quality health services. "We seek to provide awareness and education as a contribution towards the eradication of disease and the promotion of health".

Dr. Duah said the chronic exodus of nurses and other health professionals had affected the industry. "The brain drain of nurses and other professionals calls for pragmatic measures for the training of health care assistants to help the few in the system.''

He said the school would roll out a new programme: Laboratory Technician in September and Health Administration, Pharmacy, Ambulance, Physiotherapy and Computer training would also be added. Dr. Duah said the school was also collaborating with sister institutions both local and abroad to provide quality tuition, "Currently, we are collaborating with Weber State University and Algojuil College".

He said the school was set to achieve greater laurels and called on stakeholders in the industry, NGOs, parents and students to contribute their quota to the realization of its dreams. Ms Susanna Arthur, Vice Principal of the School, urged the students to be dutiful as well as living a good moral life and said "As we admit you as students of this college, set yourselves very high academic and moral standards." She said it was important for them as students to develop their analytical skills to sharpen them for the job market.