The Chief Executive Officer of the Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFRA), Dr. Winfred Korletey Baah, is spearheading efforts to secure accreditation for the Odumase-Krobo Nursing and Midwifery Training College to expand its academic offerings.
Dr. Baah has called on the Ministry of Health (MoH) to expedite the accreditation process, allowing the institution to transition from awarding only certificates in nursing assistant (preventive) programmes to offering diploma programmes in general nursing, midwifery, and public health.
Since its establishment in 2015, the Odumase-Krobo Nursing and Midwifery Training College has solely provided a two-year nursing assistant (preventive) programme. However, Dr. Baah stressed that this limited scope does not align with the institution’s intended mandate of training professional nurses and midwives.
At a meeting with Dr. Awoonor Williams, Technical Adviser to the Minister of Health, and the Head of the Health Training Institutions at MoH, Dr. Baah emphasized that while other nursing and midwifery training colleges have been accredited to run degree programmes, Odumase-Krobo remains restricted to certificate courses.
The college, which operated from temporary facilities in Odumase for five years before relocating to its permanent site in 2020, currently has a student population of nearly 400 across its first and second-year cohorts.
Dr. Baah lamented that accreditation delays have stunted the institution’s ability to fully realize its potential. However, he expressed optimism that ongoing collaborations between MoH, HeFRA, and other relevant bodies would accelerate the approval process, paving the way for the commencement of diploma programmes this year.
“The diploma programmes will commence this year, hopefully, given the assurances I have received from the ministry,” he stated.
The push for accreditation reflects broader efforts to enhance nursing and midwifery education in Ghana, ensuring that institutions can train professionals with the skills required to meet the country’s growing healthcare needs.
