A team from the University has visited the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Nursing and Midwifery Training College, (KATH NMTC) Kumasi, to learn at firsthand preparations being made to receive students for the Post Professional Nursing Assistant Clinical (NAC) and Nurse Assistant Preventive (NAP) Access Course.
The access course which starts from October 22 - November 3, is intended to offer another opportunity for NAC/NAP certificate holders with deficiencies in English, Mathematics and Science in the West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) to pass these subjects. This will enable them to qualify to enrol on the University of Cape Coast Diploma in Midwifery programme which starts from November 2018 to February 2019 for final year students currently on the NAC/NAP programme in the various Nursing and Midwifery Colleges.
It would be recalled that the Ministry of Health and the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UCC to design a programme to upgrade NAC/NAP certificate to diploma.
UCC Team
The team from the University comprised the Head of Institutional Affiliation Office, Mr. Justice Agyenim Boateng, Dr. Eric Koka from the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Mr. Seth Selassie Dzah and Mr Richard Sarfo-Walters from the School of Nursing and Midwifery.
Management of KATH NMTC
Members of Management of KATH NMTC who were present at the meeting were the Principal, Mr. Albert Opoku, the Vice Principal, Mrs. Veronica Oduro-Kwarteng; Head of Programmes, Mrs. Joana Owusu Danso and Mr. Ransford Osei - a member of the Academic Board.
Centres for Access Course
Interacting with Management of KATH NMTC, Mr. Boateng said four centres have been designated for the two-week access course nationwide. He stated that the four centres were KATH NMTC for the middle zone, Cape Coast NMTC for the Southern Zone, Tamale NMTC for the Northern Zone and Atibie NMTC for the Eastern Zone.
Mr. Boateng explained that “KATH NMTC will host NAC/NAP final year students from nursing institutions in the Ashanti and Brong Ahafo, whiles students from institutions in theUpper East, Upper West and Northern Regions will have theirs in Tamale NMTC. Atibie Nursing and Midwifery Training College will host students for the Eastern, Greater Accra and Volta Regions whereas the Central and Western Regions will converge at Cape Coast NMTC for the Access Programme.
Post NAC/NAP Programme
Mr. Boateng said the NMC has asked the University to begin the Diploma in Midwifery programme in November for final year NAC/NAP students who would be writing the licensing examinations in February. “The NMC wants the NAC/NAP students to complete all their academic work before they write their professional examinations in February. This means that we have to ensure that we all prepare adequately for a smooth take-off of the programme,’ he implored.
Purpose of the Visit
Explaining the essence of the visit, Mr. Boateng said the team wanted to discuss challenges of the College in relation to hosting of the students for the access course and also ascertain whether KATH NMTC has enough facilities for the students to start the access course. “We have to be sure that the students enjoy a conducive academic environment for their studies”
On his part, the Principal of KATH NMTC, Mr. Albert Opoku thanked the UCC team for the visit and assured that Management of the College had made all the necessary arrangement to receive the students.
The UCC team later inspected lecture halls, laboratories, libraries, Information Communication and Technology Centre and dormitories of the College. Members were satisfied with the state of facilities and thanked Management of the College for the warm reception.