Thursday, March 28, 2024

5 Nursing Schools closed down for failing to meet minimum standards of training

Share

EASTERN Province Assistant Secretary, Beenzu Chukuba, delivers her speech during the graduation ceremony of nurses and midwives held at Mwami Adventist Mission Hospital in Chipata on Friday. 207 nurses and midwives from Mwami, Chipata General and Saint Francis Hospitals graduated.The General Nursing Council of Zambia (GNCZ) has closed down five training institutions of nursing for failing to meet minimum standards of training in 2017 alone.

And St. Lukes’ Mpanshya Mission Colleges of Nursing, Midwifery and Public Health Nursing in Rufunsa District of Lusaka Province has introduced the first ever educational tool called the “Decentralised Practical Training Model (DPTM) aimed at enhancing the training of more nurses.

Meanwhile, Minister of Health Dr. Chitalu Chilufya, said the model has come at a time when government is encouraging Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) in the training of public health workers in line with the Ministry of Health (MoH)’s transforming agenda.

General Nursing Council of Zambia (GNCZ) Content Development Expert, David Mbewe, said the closure of the five training institutions that include three Universities and two colleges is aimed at enforcing compliance levels to set standards of training.

ZANIS reports that Mr. Mbewe warned that the council shall not hesitate to shut down any school of nursing and midwifery for failing to abide to the set standards of nursing and midwifery education and training.

This came to light when St. Lukes’ Mpanshya Mission College of Nursing, Midwifery and Public Health Nursing unveiled its innovative educational tool “DPTM” at an event dubbed: “The Knowledge Sharing Day” over the weekend.

Mr. Mbewe who however declined to name the affected schools emphasized that there shall be no compromise in the enforcement of the set nursing and midwifery education if the citizens are to be protected from unscrupulous people.

“I must reiterate that GNC’s desire to achieve 100 % compliance to set nursing and midwifery standards is paying dividends,” he said.

“I wish to inform to the nation that GNC has so far closed down five schools of nursing and midwifery following our intensified inspections of training institutions across the country”.

And St. Lukes’ Mpanshya Mission College of Nursing, Midwifery and Public Health Nursing Principal Toddy Sinkamba said the institution is pioneering the “Decentralised Practical Training Model (DPTM) aimed at enhancing the training of nurses and output of graduates.

Mr. Sinkamba added that during implementation of the model, the college intends to address some of the teething problems that hinder the training of quality nurses in the country.

“Some components in the model will enable us start the 2018 direct registered midwifery programme that is replacing the current in-service one,” he disclosed.

“Indeed the launch of this model has come at a time when there’s great demand for innovative knowledge in Zambia, and the nursing profession, in particular.”

And speaking at the same function, Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya implored both new and existing colleges of nursing to emulate St. Lukes if they are not remain relevant to the needs of the profession.

Dr. Chilufya who spoke through a representative, Dr. Lonia Mwape explained that the model pioneered by the nursing school, is tailored on recommendations made by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Global Health Policy for human resource and Retention for health which Zambia is a part to.

“The public health care system is still grappling with the low staffing levels despite huge efforts from both public and private training schools churning out graduates,” he noted.

“Time has come for university nursing colleges and other training provides to introduce innovations that are in line with MoH’s National Health Strategic Plan aimed at increasing the number of graduates annually”.

Rufunsa District Commissioner Judith Chama also attended the event that attracted principal tutors and instructors from all the 69 nursing colleges across the country.

29 COMMENTS

  1. You so called Journalists, ask them and findout which institutions those are so that people dont risk taking their children there are we together?
    Zambia lacks investigative journalism. You only get if from BBC, CNN and Reuters

  2. Lazy journalism, we want to know the names of all the colleges closed so that we dont risk with our monies in case our pipo are learning there. So imwe ba ka Journalist give us the names!!

  3. This is what Edem Djokoto is always talking about. Why do Zambian Journalists write what is obvious? If the person who is suppose to disclose the names of the closed institutions can not do so, why can you not use the tools you have to find out and inform the public? Zambian journalists enjoy spoon feeding. I miss the days of the post before it went to bed with Sata (MHSRIP). I also miss the National Mirror of 1990. Now there is no paper that people will queue for

    • Sorry to dissapoint you, he may play his politics wrong but he is a product of UNZA and very reputable universities in the UK.

  4. It’s not worthy news.GNC is corrupt Period honestly why hiding the names they just want kickbacks.after one week ask me if one school will be closed

    • I would tend to agree with you. In a properly functioning society institutions are only closed as a last resort, after they have been ample time to remedy any identified shortcomings.

      When that point is reached there would no point in keeping the names of the institutions confidential because they would have been given the opportunity to address their shortcomings but failed. So, they would only have themselves to blame for any negative consequences of such publication.

  5. Lusaka Times, you wasted your time and space publishing this useless story. It is like saying “there is a very deadly disease that has invaded Lusaka times, but failing to mention the disease itself.”

  6. Really useless and brainless individual employed as a journalist to cover such an alarming story without presenting any facts. This type of a journalist deserves to be sacked because he is a danger to the country by not doing his job.

  7. Honestly, speaking all these schools, colleges, Universities in backyards should be inspected and closed. How do you run a college in a 5 roomed house? Standards should be followed. The learning environment also contributes to quality and competent graduates. Also people with junior degrees (undergraduate degrees) should not be allowed to lecture, they can only be tutors or teaching assistance as they are called in other countries. Minimum qualification for a lecturer is a Postgraduate qualification from a recognized institution. People with junior degrees can only instruct candidates of Diplomas and certificates. How can a learner driver teacher another learner driver to drive?

  8. Non disclosure of the closed institutions leave the citizens vulnerable to enroll and ending losing out. Has any been closed I wonder?

Comments are closed.

Read more

Local News

Discover more from Lusaka Times-Zambia's Leading Online News Site - LusakaTimes.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading