HALT THE RE-INTRODUCTION OF "ZOOM NURSES"-GRNMA FIGHTS GOV'T, GHS

HALT THE RE-INTRODUCTION OF "ZOOM NURSES"-GRNMA TO GOV'T, GHS*

The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) says they are unhappy about the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) for the re-introduction of the modular Six (6) month training for Community Health Workers (Zoom Nurses).

According to the Leadership of the Association, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) defines a nurse as a person who has completed a program of basic, generalised nursing education and is authorised by the appropriate regulatory authority to practice nursing in his/her country.

Speaking to the First Chairman of the Ashanti Regional Branch of the Association today, Mr. Philimon Adu Brempong said, they are worried about the constant efforts of stakeholders especially successive governments to adulterate the nursing profession.

He said the Association is therefore entreating stakeholders and the general public to desist from attaching the name "nurse" to any under trained person who attains a Six month training or less and parade himself or herself as a nurse.

Nursing is a noble profession and requires extensive training to become part of the profession.

"We have over Fourteen Thousand (14,000) qualified Nurses and Midwives who are awaiting government ployment thus the GRNMA is urging government and the necessary stakeholders to employ these professionals instead of the Six month training to unqualified persons to become part of the service", *Mr. Adu told Nana Ampratwum on Silver FM's Omanbapa Morning Show.*

He added that instead of committing new funds to train the Community Health Workers (Zoom Nurses), those funds should be channeled into the issuance of the Financial Clearance to employ those awaiting employment who have the requisite skills and knowledge to help the country especially in it's fight against the COVID 19 pandemic.

He finally called on government to as a matter of urgency halt the Re-introduction of the Community Health Workers (Zoom Nurses) to save the profession.

*STORY BY:*

*FILASCO DEGENERAL-SILVERFM*