The Nursing and Midwifery Training College in Damongo in the Savannah Region has started the training of midwives in the 2023/2024 academic year.
The name of the school, formerly Nursing Training College, has thus been changed to Nursing and Midwifery Training College.
This was disclosed by the principal of the college, Hajia Rabi Iddrisu, at a matriculation and graduation ceremony on Saturday, 18th November 2023.
She disclosed that the college admitted a total of 109 applicants as the first batch of Midwifery Trainees.
In total, 580 applicants were admitted for the 2023/2024 academic year.
The admission is the highest number ever admitted by the school in an admission cycle.
The college in Damongo has performed fairly well in terms of the licensing examination organized by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana.
Students of the school in the Registered General Nursing Program obtained pass rates of 91.2%, 71.8%, and 94.1% in 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively.
For the Nurse Assistant Clinic, the school obtained pass rates of 95.9%, 68%, and 93% in 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively.
Despite these achievements, the school is confronted with a number of challenges.
These challenges include limited classrooms, limited hostel accommodation for students, limited computers for the IT lab, and the lack of a fence wall.
Speaking at a graduation and matriculation ceremony of the school on Saturday, November 18, 2023, the principal, Hajia Rabi Iddrisu, called for concerted efforts to address the challenges.
Hajia Rabi Iddrisu, while welcoming the new students, announced that the school has admitted the first batch of midwifery trainees.
“We received over 2000 applicants for only 580 slots for the three programs that the college runs. Out of the 580 students admitted, 415 are females, and 165 are males.”
“We also admitted our first batch of 109 trainees for the diploma in the midwifery program after successfully going through the rigorous process of accreditation. I will, therefore, use this opportunity to officially announce a change in the name of the college from nursing training college Damongo to nursing and midwifery training college Damongo.”
Hajia Rabi Iddrisu also spoke about the academic success the school has achieved over the past few years.
The Savannah regional minister, Saeed Muhazu Jibril, on his part, implored the graduated nurses to serve with passion and human feelings.
“To the graduating students, today marks a significant milestone in your lives, let me also urge you to carry the torch of knowledge and compassion into the world. Your education has equipped you with the tools necessary to navigate the complexities of health care, but it is your humanity, your kindness, and your unwavering commitment to service that will set you apart.”