The Ghana Nurse-Midwife Trainees’ Association, (GNMTA) has underscored the need for the inclusion of online lectures or E-Learning to the Nursing Training curriculum in Ghana.
This was made known during their 30th Annual National Delegates Congress, 2022 in Central Region, Saltpond.
In the speech delivered by the President of the Association, H.E Amfo-Adjei Elijah during the launching of the congress on Wednesday, 9 March 2022, he touched on the impact and lessons learned from the COVID 19 outbreak and called on Government and other stakeholders for online learning in the various Health Training institutions in Ghana as such.
“We all can attest to the absolute fact that education was disrupted during this novel period and as a result of our unpreparedness towards technological infusion into our education system, as said by the president.
He continued, “Nursing students were at home for days, weeks, and months of which fruitful discussions could have gone on, lectures could have continued and a great number of time could have been saved yet again our unpreparedness caused us badly.
Now that we have been illumined thanks to the hostile stranger, it dawns on us to put adequate measures in place to critically consider online lectures as a part of our teaching and learning methods.”
This, he admitted, was to be a daunting task but suggested that even if it can’t be done right now or wholly, it can be done progressively to serve as a contingency plan in times of worse situations in the future.
Other issues that were raised by the President were the lack of infrastructure at the various Nursing Training institutions, the inconsistency in the payment of Trainees’ allowance, and many others.
The occasion was graced by many prominent personalities within and outside the health sector. Notable among them are, Prof. Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang, Former Education Minister, Osabarima Kwesi Atta II, Omanhene of Ogua Traditional Council, Mrs. Perpetual Ofori Ampofo, GRNMA President, Dr. Kwesi Asabir, Director of HR, MoH, and Alhaji Boakye-Yiadom Abdul Karim, COHHETI Vice President.
The theme for the congress was “The future of Nursing and Midwifery Education in Ghana; Lessons from COVID-19 Pandemic.
