By Patrick N. Mensah, Mayland County
The Ministry of Health in collaboration with Partner In Health (PIH) and Global Action in Nursing (GAIN) has graduated 12 follows of its 2nd cohort.
The graduation ceremony was held at the Catholic Pastoral Center in Maryland County on Thursday, June 30, 2022.
The occasion brought together health workers and local authorities, including Dr. Juiliet Natt Doe, Administrator of the James Jenkins Dossen Referral Hospital in Harper City, Assistant Clinical Director Dr. Sarah, Clinical Director of PIH Dr. Sterman Toussiant, Co-director of GAIN, Daniel Maweu, Acting Medical Director of JJ Dossen Referral hospital, Dr. Ibrahim Sanoe, and County Health Officer, Dr. Methodius George, among others.
Guest speaker, Mrs. Lydia Johnson said, GAIN has been in partnership with several organizations in Malawi and it continues to provide clinical training for nurses and midwives in Liberia and other parts of the world.
She stressed that the training program is aimed at providing knowledge to nurses across the global on how to prevent major health risk situations in Maryland and Liberia at large.
She explained that the initiative is being rolled out in three countries namely; Liberia, Malawi and Sierra Leone.
She recalled that in October 2020 the program was introduced in Liberia specifically, in Maryland to train nurses and midwives, providing necessary knowledge and skills on maternal and neonatal components.
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The GAIN program focuses on three components with the aim of expanding the workforce, establishing a pathway for nurses to upgrade their education, including patients care and leadership skills.
Mrs. Johnson said currently, the program is being conducted and monitored in three Partner In Health operational areas, including JJ Dossen Referral hospital, Pleebo health center and Karluken health center, respectively.
She continued that in July 2021, GAIN graduated 16 fellows, who are currently providing clinical services to patients in those various health facilities, and the latest batch of graduates started last October for the 2nd Cohort with a total of 14 fellows, 12 of whom received certificate.
Speaking on the topic “Quality Health Care and its Impacts”, she challenged the graduates to provide necessary services for patients in their respective areas of assignment.
“Let me say, the good health system of our county or country depends on you as GAIN Follows; if the county health system is to improve then you as health workers need to double your efforts in your respective areas of assignments”, Mrs. Johnson underscored
She urged the graduates to help in reducing maternal and neonatal death rates, noting that in 2017, approximately 810 women died from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth.
She disclosed that between 2017 the maternal and mortality ratio of 100,000 childbirth has dropped to about 38 percent worldwide and that 94 percent of all maternal deaths occurred in low-middle income countries, including Liberia.
“With these little statistics, let me caution you as graduates to always fill in the gap through hard work and care for patients specifically, pregnant women in your areas of assignment.”
Dr. Sterman Toussiant, Clinical Director of Partner In Health lauded the graduates and cautioned them to care for their patients.
“Today, you have acquired skills as nurses and midwives; please use these skills to help the health sector within the county and country at large”, he said.
Maryland Count Health Officer, Dr. Methodius George thanked both PIH and GAIN for the initiative and promised that the County health team through the Ministry of Health will do everything possible in absolving the graduates in the workforce. Editing by Jonathan Browne
