Most Reverend Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sunyani, has advised fresh students of the Holy Family Nursing and Midwifery Training College (NMTC) to use medical concepts and practices that promote human life and dignity.

He said this at the First Matriculation of 100 students of the Holy Family NMTC at its newly established St. Mary’s Campus at Drobo in the Jaman South District of the Brong Ahafo Region.

Most Rev. Gyamfi said modern medical sciences had concepts, procedures and practices that were used to deal with diseases, sickness and death but not all were permissible.

Most Rev. Gyamfi said topics like abortion, homologous insemination, human cloning stem cell, organ transplant, death, birth and some concepts on reproductive health made sense in the ordinary medical practice but charged the students to learn and make use of only those practices that ensured healthy human life.

“Always remember that not everything medical science makes possible is permissible” he said, noting that human beings were not just objects but rational and spiritual beings who aspired to eternal happiness.

He therefore entreated the students to accept only those concepts and practices that promoted human life and dignity

The Bishop advised the students to take their studies seriously and not be selective in their topics but learn everything there was to know in their profession to distinguish themselves as nurses and midwives.

“The lesser you know the higher the risk of patients dying in your hands and you will have the sole responsibility of accounting for their lives due to your ignorance,” he added.

Ms Monica Nkrumah, Principal of the College, said the creation of the St. Mary’s Campus became necessary as a result of the growing demand for quality health care personnel in the country.

She added the college’s desire to contribute to the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) four and five, coupled with its inability to admit all qualified applicants due to inadequate infrastructure was also a factor.

Ms Nkrumah said d out of the 4,467 candidates who applied from 2011 to 2013 only 454 were admitted.

She explained the 260 students admitted this year out of the 2,840 applicants and 2,473 shortlisted was made possible because of the newly established St. Mary’s campus.

Ms Nkrumah entreated the students to make maximum use of the opportunity given them as the college placed value on them and chose them out of all the qualified applicants.

She reminded the students that their primary goal at the college was their academic pursuit and that their commitment to academic work would determine their performance in their various examinations.

She said the essence of the orientation given them was to acquaint them with their responsibilities, obligations and privileges as students as spelt out in the student’s handbook.

Ms Nkrumah said there were sanctions which included expulsion for violating of any of the code of conduct and advised the students to make academic excellence and high moral discipline their watchword.

Mr Opoku Boakye-Yiadom, Berekum Municipal Chief Executive, bemoaned the rate of brain-drain among the health professionals and called on all health professional to consider the nation first in their quest to seek greener pastures.

He said government was elated at the contribution of the Catholic Church in the areas of education and health and urged the management of the institution to continue to set the pace for others to emulate.

Mr Boakye-Yiadom appealed to the striking workers to return to work and allow discussions to take place through the appropriate channels so as not to derail the efforts of building a better Ghana.