The Bono Regional minister, Justina Owusu-Banahene, has advised students against skin bleaching due to serious health side effects.

She was worried about the growing number of students in second cycle institutions in the region, who were bleaching their skins just to look fair.

The Regional Minister entreated parents who purchase bleaching creams for their children to put an end to that, since it could have short- and long-term effects on their children with the possibility of skin diseases such as cancer and it related illnesses.

 Madam Owusu-Banahene gave the advice during the 26^th matriculation ceremony of the Holy Family Nursing and Midwifery Training College at Berekum in the Sunyani west Municipality, which also saw the 10^th anniversary launch of the St. Mary’s campus, Drobo in the Bono Region.

The ceremony was on theme: “Qualified healthcare training and Midwifery Training College: the 10 years of experience at Saint Mary's campus Drobo”.

She urged health personnel to take it upon themselves to educate all patients, particularly those bleaching, who visit their respective departments for treatment to know more about the repercussions of using chemicals on their natural body.

Madam Owusu-Banahene said the challenge was being thrown to the health professionals because they knew best and were the right people to coach the public to know about the dangers and risks of skin bleaching.

She said the country’s health system had undergone major transformation since the administration of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government and therefore needed to adequately train healthcare workers in the right places to improve upon sector’s delivery.

“Government is making all efforts to provide Ghanaians with well-trained health professionals to offer prompt and efficient healthcare services, and improving health systems in the country does not only require more nurses but professionals who are better trained and equipped to make significant contributions to the nation for better care,” she said.

Madam Owusu-Banahene called on management of the College to urgently train more preventive and specialised nurses that the region was lacking to reach out to all persons who needed such healthcare services.    

She encouraged the institution’s authorities and staff to avoid lowering the standards that had been set for years and admonished the students to concentrate on their studies and abide by the rules and regulations of the institution to uphold the  positive image of the school.