Dr. Ebenezer Appiah-Denkyira, Director of Human Resources, at the Ministry of Health (MOH) has called for the establishment of specialist nursing training schools to offer nurses the needed knowledge and speciality to perform efficiently.
"These should include the school of Cardiothoracic Nursing and the School of Orthopaedic Nursing," he said.
Addressing the fourth graduation of the School of Peri-Operative and Critical Care Nursing at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital on Thursday, Dr Appiah-Denkyira urged the graduate nurses to return to their various hospitals and offer the needed services.
He said the MOH is negotiating with the University of Ghana, Legon to allow products of the school to be admitted to the degree programme from Level 300 to continue their education.
He appealed to the School authorities to employ a librarian to receive their share of medical books purchased by the Ministry for distribution to government health institutions.
The School of Peri-Operative and Critical Care Nursing, Korle Bu was established in 1997 to train registered diploma and degree holding nurses to an advanced level to provide theatre nursing and critical care nursing.
Mr. Kwaku Asante-Krobea, Principal of the School said the institution was at the forefront of Post Basic Nursing education in the country.
He said the School had since its inception trained more than 500 nurses from all the 10 regions of the country.
Majority of the students he said came from the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Volta River Authority Hospital, 37 Military Hospital as well as Nigeria and Sierra Leone.
He cited inadequate staff, lack of permanent campus, lack of adequate accommodation for students and staff as some of the challenges facing the School.
Forty- Eight nurses graduated after under-going 15- month training.
Ms. Verma Frimpong Ofori, a nurse with the 37 Military Hospital was the overall best student after receiving six awards in 11 subjects.