Charging of fees by health facilities affecting our clinical training – Trainee nurses and midwives

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The Convenor for the Concerned Nursing and Midwifery Trainees on allowance, Gilbert Kudze, has highlighted a pressing issue faced by nursing students regarding clinical fees and allowances.

According to Kudze, the absence of allowances has placed a significant financial strain on students, rendering them unable to meet essential expenses required for their clinical training.

The politician explained that clinical facilities often impose fees ranging from GHS50 to GHS150 on students before allowing them to undertake clinical placements.

It’s either that, or he says, students are required to provide their own personal protective equipment such as gloves, face towels, soap, and hand sanitizer, which equally involves money and further adds to their financial burden.

“The allowances are crucial in enabling students to afford these expenses. Without them, many students are unable to participate in clinicals, which are essential for their practical training, these are what the allowances aid us with. If it doesn’t come through, it burdens the students and their parents,” Kudze stated.

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“In nursing college, students lack opportunities to earn extra income due to the demanding nature of their studies. This makes the allowance indispensable for covering basic necessities during their enrollment,” Kudze emphasized.

Expressing concern over the politicization of allowance payments, Kudze emphasized that parents rely on government support to assist with these incidental costs associated with their children’s education, hence the urgent plea to politicians not to politicise the payments and the future of Ghana’s healthcare professionals.

Kudze appealed to the government to prioritize timely disbursement of allowances, emphasizing the critical role they play in ensuring equitable access to education and training for nursing students across the country.

“Parents trust in the belief that when they struggle and are able to pay their children’s fees, the government will help support them with the side expenses that come in, but that isn’t so, that isn’t the reality, we beseech the government to please not politicise the allowance payments as students and parents rely heavily on this,” Kudze urged.

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