Madam Juliana Anam-erime Akugri, the Builsa North Municipal Director of the Ghana Health Service has praised Mr Thomas Lambon, the Upper East Regional Chairman of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA).

According to her, the Chairman was selfless and had the welfare of members of the Association at heart, and had over the years worked diligently to ensure that GRNMA members in the Region were protected.

"When there is an issue with a nurse or midwife, Mr Lambon, no matter how busy he is, he communicates to make sure the issue is resolved. Please extend my sincere gratitude to him," Madam Akugri told GRNMA executives and members at a meeting in Sandema.

The meeting, which brought together all categories of nurses and midwives was on the theme: "The division and emergence of other trade unions in nursing profession: Potential implications for the future."

The Director recalled the GRNMA Chairman's active involvement in the release of a nurse in the Kassena-Nankana West District who was arrested by the Police in Bolgatanga for possessing strings and needles, medications and suturing needles.

She said even though the nurse did not inform leadership of the Association in the Region, Mr Lambon got wind of the issue and quickly moved to Bolgatanga Municipal Police Station before her arrival at the Station as the then Kassena-Nankana West District Director.

Madam Akugri acknowledged the leadership style of the Chairman, and urged all nurses and midwives in the Region to ensure they did what was right, "If you do the right thing and you are in trouble, then the Association can come in and help.

"But if you go about doing wrong things, leadership will be at a fix and may find it difficult to handle. So let us be disciplined in the way we conduct ourselves, and particularly in the way we render services to our clients," she advised.

Madam Akugri also registered her displeasure about the attitude of some nurses and midwives in the Municipality who wore scrubs (clothing worn during surgery) at sub-district levels, while others wore them to buy food in town.

"Scrub as I am aware, is supposed to be worn in environments that we need to prevent infection, and that is the theatre, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), the Critical Care Unit, and within the ward environment.

"As soon as you come out of that environment, you need to change into your uniform and go home. As for the sub-district level, no way, don't wear scrub," the Municipal Director cautioned.

Madam Akugri emphasized the need for nurses and midwives to identify themselves in their professional and prescribed uniforms in public, saying that the beauty of the uniform attracted some members of the public to join the profession.

She noted that apart from the beauty of the uniform, they were easily identified as nurses and midwives among members of the public and protected when there were any chaotic situations in public.