Mr. Oakley Quaye-Kuma, Deputy Minister for Health yesterday observed that absence of paediatric nurses has hindered Ghana's effort to improve child survival and mortality as inscribed in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

"It is therefore basic and imperative that cautious effort is made to train the needed category of workforce to help address the current health needs of this country," he said.

 Launching Paediatric Nursing Training Programme in Accra, Mr. Quaye-Kuma said Ghana needs about 1,500 paediatric nurses over the next 10-15 years to meet the health needs of children.

The Ghana-Canada collaboration programme seeks to build on existing competencies in paediatric nursing to make it more focused on the country's needs, with the training based on the Community-Based Health Planning Services.

It will develop academia for the School of Nursing, give exposure to practicing nurses in paediatric care, train colleague nurses in the districts and sub districts.

Under the programme, nurses from hospitals and community settings nominated by metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies will be trained to ensure that they stay and work in the communities to make up for the absence of adequate care in child health that threatens the country's workforce and population.

Mr. Quaye-Kuma lauded the programme and noted that the government is grateful to authorities of Hospital for Sick Children of Toronto, also known as "Sick Kids" for their efforts to advance global child health to generate relevant research on child health in Ghana.
     
He reiterated the Ministry's decision that professional nurses with diploma certificates should be given the opportunity to undertake the programme for two years to be awarded a degree.
     
Mr. Darren Schemmer, Canadian High Commissioner, said Canada's assistance to Ghana included volunteering in rural Ghana, the health sector and the programme was the first to be funded by the Canadian International Development Agency.
     
He noted that among of all the MDGs, it is the two goals of maternal and child mortality that a lot of countries are having difficulties to achieve and expressed the hope that under the programme, the team to Ghana will make meaningful contribution to meet the goals by training nurses in paediatric knowledge and more importantly training a number of nurses nationwide.
    
Prof. Aaron Lawson, Provost of College of Health Sciences lauded the initiative that will reduce child mortality, morbidity and in addition help health professionals to improve their performance to build the needed capacity for the health sector.

Source: GNA

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