Protesting Nursing Trainee Students Suspended

The trainee nurses from Dunkwa Nursing Training College who picketed in Accra to demand unpaid allowances have been suspended

The students numbering about 500 spent the night in Accra on May 18, 2015 after they were bused from Cape Coast to protest three years of unpaid allowances.

The leaders of the picketers later met with the Health Minister Alex Segbefia who promised to have their allowances paid.

It is recorded that a month after meeting the Minister the students have still not received their allowances.

Rather they have been suspended with some facing the risk of having their registration to take part in the final state diploma licensing examination revoked.

The punitive measures were taken by the  Advisory Board of the school.

In a letter signed by the Board Chair of the School Nana Addai Gyambra said the Dunkwa midwifery is built on the solid foundation of patience, tolerance, respect for authorities and obedience for which reason the school will not countenance any form of disrespect from the students.

“I must state this institution is governed by rules and regulations which every student is under obligation to obey every bit of it to the letter . The advisorry board and management of the school will not sit down for the students to dictate what goes on in the school. Discipline still rules and it will continue to be the hallmark of the school,” Addai Gyambra stated in the letter to the students which Myjoyonline.com has intercepted.

While condemning the decision by the students to board eight buses to Accra without authorization from the school authorities, the advisory board said it is even more disappointed that the student leaders have shown no sign of remorse and have even refused to apologise for their action.

For the gross insubordination, the board has applied the following sanctions;

“Write an apology letter to the school’s management board members, stakeholders, Association executives, Nananom and the Minister of Health.

“Your are required to sign a bond to be of good behavior.

“The first two requirements are to be met by June 18, 2015, 12:00pm prompt,” the first part of the punitive measures read.

The affected students must also perform “two weeks of internal suspension with hard labour ie. 19th-26th June and the second week starting from 10th-17th July 2015.

“Note  for the outgoing students , failure to comply with these directives with immediate effect will compel the school to revoke their registration to take part in the impending final state diploma licensing examination and for the continuing students, the rest will follow,” the last part of the sanctions read.