Some residential facilities belonging to nurses in Wa have been converted into drinking spots by people believed to be illegally occupying the place.

This was revealed by the Deputy Upper West Regional Minister, Mr Abu Kabiebata Kansangbata at the 2013 Nurses and Midwives’ Week Celebration in the region.

He has since issued a strong warning to such people to prepare and vacate the premises to give way for the nurses, who he described as the rightful occupants of the place to occupy the buildings.

Mr Kasangbata said the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) would eject all those who are not nurses and are wrongfully occupying the facilities in order to ensure that nurses were properly accommodated to discharge their duties effectively.

Mr. Kansangbata commended nurses and midwives for holding the fort in terms of healthcare delivery in the face of acute shortage of doctors in the Region and appealed to senior nurses and midwives to mentor the young ones in a manner that would make them fully matured to take over from them when they retire.

Mr. Kansangbata said the attainment of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on reducing maternal and infant mortality would be a mirage if adequate midwives were not trained, properly resourced and well-motivated.

He said it was for this reason that government established midwifery training institutions at Jirapa and Tumu in the Jirapa and Sissala East districts to train more midwives to augment the existing staff.

Dr. Alexis Nang-beifubah, the Upper West Regional Director of Health Services, appealed to the nurses and midwives to use the occasion to form partnerships with stakeholders and also deliberate on important issues.

He reminded them on the need for them to continue to render healthcare services in a manner that would make the public perceive them as professional nurses and not nurses by academic qualification.

Dr. Nang-beifubah said nurses and midwives had done much towards the attainment of MDGs 4, 5 and 6 but there was still much to be done as the countdown to 2015 approached.