Narration: Members of the Northern Patriots in Research and Advocacy (NORPRA), a pressure group working in the three regions of the north has petitioned the Upper East Regional Minister, Mark Woyongo to renew their call for the removal of the Principal of the Bolgatanga Midwifery Training school for professional misconduct and alleged engagements in acts that seriously undermine quality health service delivery in northern Ghana particularly, Gushegu District in the northern region. At an emergency meeting held at Bolgatanga and attended by Regional Police Commander, ACP Bright Oduro, members of NORPRA insisted that until the Principal is relief of her post, they will not hesitate to use all available means to prevent her from holding herself as head of the school. Isaac Asare was there for Radio Ghana and has the rest of the story.
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The petition by NORPRA follows a call on the Director General of Ghana Health Services pressing on the immediate removal of the Principal, Mrs Ruby Adom Panou, who they believe has over the years exhibited gross disrespect to her authorities and also demonstrated acts of incompetence that do not promote quality health service delivery in northern Ghana and Upper East in particular. NORPRA accuses Mrs Panou of masterminding the dismissal of five officers sent from the Gushegu District Hospital of Northern Region to the Bolgatanga Midwifery Training College to pursue post basic midwifery certificate as requested by the hospital authorities with endorsement from the Upper East Regional Director of Health Services. According to the group, a letter to that effect with caption, “Recommendation for Special Consideration for Admission” requested for a special consideration for the admission of the five serving personnel working at the Gushegu District Hospital to pursue the Post Basic Midwifery certificate course. The said letter dated May, 19, 2011 stated that the request was necessary due to acute shortage of midwives in the District. The current situation, the letter recounted showed that the few midwives at post are advanced in age and will in no time go on retirement. NORPRA further alleged that the principal after one month of issuing admission letters to the students on August 11, 2011 and making the Gushgegu District Hospital to pay GHC 5,422.02 with additional money from the students themselves, decided to verbally dismiss the students from the school without any official letter with concrete reasons for her action. The President of NORPRA, Bismark Adongo Ayorogo who read the petition, lamented that the affected students after being expelled and asked to defer their courses demanded a refund of their money of which the principal refused to heed to their request but instead asked them to officially write to her, stating that they themselves are no longer interested in the school and that their fees be refunded. This action by the principal according to the president is unprofessional since the students were not involved is any act of misconduct, unsatisfactory progress in studies or failure to pass any prescribed examination. Mrs Panou in reaction to NORPRA’s allegations confirmed that though they the students were admitted upon request by the Northern and Upper East Regional Health Directorates, they failed to meet the approved entry requirements instituted by the Nurses and Midwives Council (NMC). The NMC she hinted requires such students to poses at least 3-5 years post qualification experience before being enrolled as students. This, she added was not the case of the affected 5 officers. She said management of the school in consultation with the regional health directorate advised the affected students to defer their course and wait for the next academic year to pursue their course but was fiercly resisted. The students she claimed left the school without official notification. Mrs Panou narrated a similar incident last year where a batch of 66 students was admitted though they were not fully qualified to be enrolled as students. The situation she said nearly caused her job. The Regional Minister, Mark Woyongo who received the petition appealed to both sides to resolve the impasse through dialogue whilst he liaised with the appropriate quarters to decide on the matter. Mr. Woyongo said special clearance will be solicited from the NMC as a way forward in addressing the impasse.
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