Kokofu health training school decries poor state of infrastructure

The Health Assistant Training School at Kokofu in the Bekwai Municipality of Ashanti region has decried its poor state of infrastructure, which authorities say impedes efforts at providing quality nursing education.

Principal, Madam Hagar Agyir–Binn, says the school has plans to add up Geriatric Nursing program that caters for the needs of the aged, but this program cannot take off, due to lack of infrastructure.

She spoke to Luv News at the School’s 6th Matriculation and 5th Anniversary event under the theme: “Announcing Our Existence”.

One hundred and twenty students, comprising 88 females and 32 males, were matriculated.

According to Madam Agyir-Binn, the school has seen very little improvement in infrastructure in its five years of existence.

“The road leading from Kokofu town to the school has been worst as the years pass by, in raining seasons, it gets flooded and the flood habours pythons which make it dangerous to access the road to the school. Sometimes some staff have to be carried at the back of some village folks in order to cross the flood to work”, she lamented.

She has appealed to the Ministry of Health to make good a promise to construct model classroom and administration block to address the challenges of inadequate classrooms, lack of administrative block, accommodation for tutors, ICT facility and lack of demonstration room. 

 

A lecturer at the School, Mrs. Comfort Asare explained that students and staff have had to make sacrifices to excel academically, especially when practical demonstrations have to be held in open air.

“Imagine teaching students or demonstrating things in the open air under a very hot sun for two to four hours; it’s very important in nursing that we teach our students through the demonstration method, especially the basic nursing aspect, but we don’t have demonstration room, it’s not there!” she complained.

The Principal however stated that in the face of all the challenges, Kokofu HATS performs creditably in the licensure exams.

“After the poor performance in our first licensure examination that was 11% pass, the School has constantly been performing very well in the subsequent licensure examinations: 2010 – 91.4%, 2011 – 76.6% and 2012 – 75.5% pass in the second, third and fourth batches respectively. This year we were the fourth best school in the licensure examination in the whole country”, Madam Agyir-Binn disclosed.

The Chief Nursing Officer of the Ghana Health Service, George Kumi Kyeremeh, commended the School authority for its innovations to raise standards in the School.

“My office will continue to collaborate with all the key stakeholders and represent your interest at the highest level”, he assured.

Mr. Kyeremeh observed that health professionals would not be able to complete the healing process if their acquired knowledge and skills and not backed with compassion for patients.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh