The government is being urged to throw some support behind private health colleges, enabling them to take in more students and ease the burden on public health institutions.

Private nursing training colleges are crucial in training healthcare professionals, but financial struggles limit their infrastructure development, restricting their capacity to enroll more students.

Dr. Derrick Adu Mensah, a Senior Clinical/Medical Research Scientist and Head of the Department for Health and Allied Sciences at Royal Ann College of Health, emphasized that collaboration between the government and private institutions is key for improving healthcare delivery in Ghana.

He made this disclosure at the college's 21st matriculation ceremony, held in Abuakwa Manhyia in the Atwima Nwabiagya Municipality.

This year's event, themed "Quality Healthcare: A Prerequisite for Quality Training of Healthcare Practitioners," also marked a milestone as the institution matriculated its largest intake of students in history.

A total of 423 new students were admitted into various academic disciplines, including Nursing, Midwifery, Medical Laboratory Science, Registered General Nursing, Medical Laboratory, Dispensing Technology and Medicine Counter Assistant.

Speaking to Adom News, Dr. Derrick Adu Mensah noted that numerous nursing training colleges, originally established as private entities, have transitioned to public or government-assisted institutions, significantly contributing to the growth of skilled healthcare professionals in the country.

"Most nursing training institutions were initially started as Private nursing training colleges, like the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Nurses Training College. Later, the government got involved, expanded infrastructure, and now it's a public institution."

He noted that many private nursing schools lack the infrastructure to admit more students, and suggested government intervention as a possible solution.

By supporting these institutions, he believes it can help increase the number of skilled healthcare workers and enhance the sector's capacity to provide quality healthcare services.

In his address, the college's Founder and President, Mr. Richard Aboagye, emphasized the significance of the matriculation, stating that it marked the students' official acceptance into the institution.

He urged the new students to take their oath seriously, uphold the college’s core values of Excellence, Integrity, Innovation, Service, and Care, and strive for distinction in all they do.

He encouraged the new students to stay focused and work diligently to complete their studies successfully, ensuring they graduate as skilled healthcare professionals equipped to serve the nation.

Meanwhile, Ms. Esther Adade Frimpong, the SRC President, appealed to the government to introduce policies that would alleviate the financial burden on students in private nursing training colleges, mirroring the support given to their counterparts in public institutions.

She pointed out that many students in private health institutions struggle to pay fees, which often leads to dropout.

She suggested that government policies supporting public institution students should be extended to benefit private institution students as well, to prevent private schools from collapsing.

"Extending policies like allowances to private health institution students would be a huge relief, as many of us are really struggling to cover our fees. It'll go a long way in supporting us financially."