Ban on pregnant nursing and midwifery students lifted

The policy directive barring pregnant Nursing and Midwifery students from writing examination has been lifted, a statement issued on behalf of the Ministry of Health (MOH) by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (N&MC) has stated.

The statement made available to the Ghana News Agency by Nana Boateng Agyeman, Head of Public Relations, Nursing and Midwifery Council assured the general public that the rights of students in the Nursing and Midwifery Training Schools would be respected.

The statement said the decision to allow pregnant students to write their examinations was arrived at during a stakeholders meeting ignited by MOH, to deliberate on recent events where a pregnant student at the Gushegu Midwifery Training School in the Northern Region was initially prevented from writing her examination.

The stakeholder meeting was attended by MOH, N&MC, and Conference of Heads ofTraining Institutions (COHETI).

“MOH and its stakeholders hold the view that there are no provisions in the 1992 Constitution that bars pregnant students from writing college examinations.

“As well as licensing examination, which are conducted by the Nursing and Midwifery Training Institutions and the Nursing and Midwifery Council respectively,” the statement said.

The statement said, a Committee would be formed to review the Students Handbook to ensure that all rules, regulations and other clauses were in conformity with the 1992 Constitution.

The stakeholders also affirmed their commitment to respect and abide by the provisions in Article 12, 17, and 23 of the 1992 Constitution and other International Conventions that prohibit any forms of discrimination and Human Rights violation in the training, education and practice of nursing and midwifery in the country.

Source: GNA