Akim Oda, Sept. 6, GNA - Ms Veronica Darko, the Senior Deputy Registrar of the Nurses and Midwives Council, has appealed to health professionals, to consider the efforts by the State to improve their working conditions, by resisting the temptation to seek greener pastures abroad.

She said packages such as additional duty hour allowances, rural posting incentives, provision of means of transport and housing schemes, to the personnel of the Ghana Health Services, should entice them to stay at home.

Ms Darko was speaking at the first graduation ceremony of the Akim Oda Community Health Nursing Training School, at the weekend. She said although Community Health Nurses', played a crucial role in preventive health care, they should refer cases beyond their competence to the relevant medical officials.

The Principal of the school, Mrs Susanna Adjei appealed for more residential accommodation for tutors and the expansion of the classrooms, dinning hall and the students' common room. She said the school improved on its academic performance by obtaining a 100 per cent pass in the 2003 final examinations. The Queenmother of the Akim Kotoku Traditional Area, Nana Ekua Asentewaa, III urged the graduates to be dedicated to their work to help improve health care delivery in the rural areas.

She reminded them of the difficult nature of their work and advised them to be patient towards their clients at all times.

The Eastern Regional Director of Health Service, Dr Ebenezer Appiah Denkyira, appealed to the District Assemblies to provide accommodation for Community Health Nurses to enable them to give off their best. Long service awards were presented to some members of staff.