By Aminu Garko
KANO — As part of activities to mark his 67th birthday, the Presidential Candidate of New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, Sen. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso has moved to address acute shortage of manpower linked to cases of maternal and infant mortalities among others recorded in rural communities and Kano state.
Kwankwaso who spoke at presentation of license to nursing and midwives graduands and unveiling of new courses at a private owned institution, Nafisatu College of Nursing Sciences, Kwankwaso Town, Madobi, implored politicians and people of the rural communities to take advantage of the institution to ensure they have professional nurses and midwives in each of their communities and remote area in order to meet their healthcare needs.
The former governor who announced approval of two new courses in the institution (Community Nursing and Community Midwifery), said from the available record, majority of those who have applied were people from the Kano city hence the need for people from rural communities to also key in to have the qualified personnel.
According to him, “Let me urge all of you to support this course (Community Nursing and Community Midwifery), which is important in the rural areas. Infact, it took us a lot of efforts to get the approval of the council which is the first of its kind in this country for any private institution to have the licence. Because we believe many of us come from the villages and towns and we know the difficulties being experienced in the remote areas especially in the area of this very important sector that requires a lot of attention.
“At this point, I like to appeal to all those concerned especially politicians and those who are representing rural communities, to publicize and support the course to ensure that each and every community have a nursing and midwifery professionals in those communities.
“We have checked the record, and so far, many people from the city of Kano are the majority of people who have applied,” he said.
Kwankwaso added that it has also made students from the institutions marketable anywhere in the international market by offering Arabic and French languages.
“We have recorded a lot of success including awarding so many licences to our girls. Some are already working in Nigeria and some have gone abroad. For those going abroad, is one of the reason why we introduced Arabic and French languages. The idea is to make the students very flexible. If they like they stay in this country but if they want to take opportunity of the international market, we made it very easy for them to learn these two languages which I believe with it they can work in so many countries across the world.
“I assure you that we will continue to do whatever it takes to ensure the improvement of the existing courses and even bringing more including medical university here in Kwankwaso,” Kwankwaso noted.
The Consultant with the institution, M. K Mahmoud said the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria has just approved the Community Nursing and Community Midwifery in the institution which it set to commence by November this year.
“The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria has graciously granted us permission to admit 40 students each for Community Nursing and Community Midwifery programs for a total of 240 in three (3) sets with effect from 2023 – 2025.
“Come 2024, the college will open its admission into four (4) years ND/HND program in Nursing in collaboration with NBTE. We shall start our BNSc program as from September, 2024.
“The council has also granted us approval to commence a one year program in Post Basic Psychiatric Nursing. We will start before the end of the year,” Mahmoud said.
Earlier, Institution’s Directors of Midwifery and Nursing, Hajiya Rakiya Sule and Tijjani Shehu respectively said when the graduands of the courses were deployed to the nooks and crannies will help address quackery drastically by 90 percent and on the other hand reduce maternal and infant mortalities recorded in hard to reach areas and communities across the state.
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