NAN-H-53
Workshop
By Carol V. Utulu
Asaba, Nov. 2, 2017 (NAN) The Delta government has advised nurses in the state to continually upgrade their skills in order to meet up with current trends in the profession.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Nicholas Azinge, gave the advice at a workshop on the Implementation of the Revised General Nursing, Midwifery and Post Basic Nursing Curricula on Thursday in Asaba.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop was organised by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria in collaboration with the Delta State Ministry of Health.
Azinge, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr Minnie Oseji, commended the council for taking bold step to revise all the curricula for nursing and midwifery education in Nigeria.
“I want to cease this medium to formally commend the council for revising the curriculum for nursing and midwifery education in line with global best practice.
“Let me also state here that Delta State is taking the lead in achieving universal health coverage through its contributory health insurance scheme established to promote health for all Deltans,” Azinge said.
The commissioner, however, said that for the state to sustain its position, concerted efforts must be made to improve the interpersonal communication between health workers and patients.
He also said there was the need to evolve strategies to help reduce waiting time in our health institutions which required major inputs from the nursing profession.
Azinge said that the workshop themed, “Strengthening Nursing and Midwifery Education for Quality Health Care’’, was timely.
He said it was timely because of the current threat of emerging dreaded diseases such as Ebola, Lassa fever and Monkey pox.
“It is our stern belief and expectation that highly trained nurses will no doubt help improve our healthcare delivery system,” he said.
Earlier, the Director, Nursing Services, Delta State Ministry of Health, Mrs Veronica Osaneku, said the curriculum ensured that nurses and midwifes were adequately trained to provide quality healthcare to people.
According to her, regular training of the nurses will also help them meet up with the local and global trends in healthcare delivery.
He called for effective and efficient implementation of the new curricula by all concerned.
She said that the workshop came at a time when the Council was planning to commence the National Diploma/Higher National Diploma programme in Nigeria for academic recognition of nursing and midwifery certificates.
Osaneku posited that the Council’s plan of an academic development programme informed the need for the revision of the curriculum to meet up with the stipulated standards by relevant regulatory bodies.
In his remark, the Registrar, Nurses and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, Alhaji Faruk Abubakar, said the Council reviews the curricula for nursing and midwifery education every five years.
The registrar, who was represented by Mrs Margaret Eze, Head of the Council’s Education Unit, said that regular review of the curriculum was to ensure that all current issues are carefully incorporated into it.
He said that the review aimed at maintaining standards of nursing and midwifery education in the state.
Abubakar appealed to the lecturers as well as other nursing and midwifery educators to be diligent and committed in the implementation of the revised curriculum.
He urged them to be committed in the discharge of their duties, noting that a committed and responsible teaching force would help produce graduates that are equipped with the right knowledge and skills.(NAN)
CVU/BOLA/WOJ
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(Edited by Bola Akingbehin/Wale Ojetimi)