Hohoe Midwifery School turns 40

Hohoe Midwifery School has launched its 40th anniversary in Accra.Launching the anniversary, the Minister of Health, Ms Hanny Sherry Ayittey, advised midwives to do their  best to save the lives of women being delivered of their babies.

Reiterating her point the minister said "No pregnant woman should lose her life just by performing her natural role of procreation. Instead, the cry of the baby and the joy of the mother should be the satisfaction of the midwife who had her hand in the delivery".

Speaking on the theme: "Reducing Maternal Mortality — Key to National Development; Our Collective Responsibility",  Ms Ayittey said it was incumbent on all to safely protect women during childbirth.

She observed that maternal and child health was key to national development and as such the role of the midwife was very crucial. For that matter, she said her ministry, together with other health partners had set an agenda to reduce maternal and child mortality through realistic policies and interventions such as the upgrading, equipping and establishment of more midwifery schools to increase and improve access to skilled delivery. 

The minister also appealed to the midwives, nurses and other health professionals  to accept postings to rural areas where their services were most needed. 

Ms Ayittey warned against the proliferation of training schools and said though they were needed, their authorities should strive to obtain the necessary accreditation from the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

The Principal of the Hohoe Midwifery Training School, Ms Narki Doku, noted that 1,862 midwives had graduated from the school since its inception in 1972. She indicated that the road had not been rosy since the change from their maiden role of producing certificated midwives to diploma holders. That, she added, came with a lot of challenges, and cited the lack of an auditorium complex and classrooms as some of them. 

She also said there was the need to improve midwifery education by building the capacities of the tutors to ensure that their efforts resulted in the reduction of maternal and child mortality, in line with the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) four and five.  

Ms Doku indicated that the school had been accredited by the NAB and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to award diplomas.

The Member of Parliament for the Hohoe North Constituency, Mrs Bernice Adiko-Heloo, said she planned to award more scholarships to the students in the near future.

Togbega Gabusu VI, Paramount Chief of the Gbi Traditional Area, urged the Ministry of Health (MoH) to approach the Gbi Traditional Authorities for more land to enable them  to relocate since their present site place was not spacious enough for any expansion of their facilities. 

An appeal for funds yielded over GH¢10,000, while the MOH pledged a new bus for their 40th anniversary celebrations on November 8, 2014 at Hohoe. The occasion was also used to unveil the anniversary cloth.