Nurses in the country through the National Organization of Nurses and Midwives
of Malawi (NONM) have given the government 48 hours to act on the cancelled
upgrading program for whereby Nurse and Midwife technicians (NMTs) are to be
upgraded to Registered Nurses and Midwives (RNM) at diploma level.
Petitioning President Joyce Banda on Monday in Lilongwe through the District Commissioner (DC) after marching from Kamuzu Central Hospital through Paul Kagame Highway, the nurses have also pressed for the complete dissolution of the entire board and registrar of the Nurses and Midwives Council of Malawi (NMCM) as they argue that their interests are not being fully represented by the council.
Led by NONM President Jonathan Gama and Executive Director Harriet Kapyepye, the nurses, clad in their uniforms, nurses carried placards which read, ‘remove NMCM Registrar Martha Mondiwa now’ and ‘do not compromise with politicians, quality nursing care is not a previlage but a right to all,’ among others.
In February last year, president Banda after meeting the nurses, issued a directive to embark on a programme whereby Nurse and Midwife technicians (NMTs) are to be upgraded to registered nurses and midwives at diploma level (RNM).
Following the directive that was done with wide consultations, a task force was put in place to look into the modalities of implementing the programme and it was chaired by the Office of the President and
cabinet, members from different stakeholders including NONM, Nurses and Midwives Council, Ministry of Health officials and other training institutions.
Government allocated K15 million to NMCM for the development of the curriculum and syllabus for the one year upgrading course which was supposed to start this month only to make a U-turn after everything was done saying the move is not viable.
Reading the petition before it was delivered to Lilongwe DC Felix Mkandawire, Gama said from the very onset, it became clear that some elements within the health sector were opposing the programme for
unjustifiable reasons and that one of such elements is the council itself.
“What they are doing is fooling the nation because when we were at Sanjika with the President they did agree that upgrading is possible, they were part of the group which came up with the document to be signed by the President. They were also part of the group which worked on modalities that come September, this programme should be off the ground and now they are backing off,” Gama said.
Gama said as NONM they have made several efforts to ensure that the programme gets off the
On their call to have the Nurses council dissolved, Gama described what the council is doing as
commitment as per the announcement the council made in October that they will not implement the programme.
The Presidential directive was to the effect that the programme should start within six months from February 2013 and most training institutions at the time did indicate that they were ready to
implement the programme.
Gama said as NONM they have made several efforts to ensure that the programme gets off the ground including sourcing funds which they gave to the council after it had indicated that it did not have sufficient finances to implement the programme.
In the petition, the nurses have asked the President to direct in writing that council should start implementing the programme this month, to direct training institutions such as Malawi College of
Health Sciences to support implementation of the programme apart from calling for the dissolution of the entire board.
In a letter dated December 11, 2013 to NONM Executive Director, the council said the developed one year syllabus has too much content which cannot be accommodated in one year and that it has serious
deficiencies in science subjects which will be difficult in the implementation process.
"There is a danger in Safe Motherhood and will worsen the national indicators and the international standards will go down.
"Career progression of one year program is not known. There is no guarantee this nurse midwife will be acceptable in the accredited institution of higher learning," reads the signed by Martha Mondiwa,
NMCM, which Nyasa Times has in possession.
The NMCM Act cap 36;02 part IV Section 11 (a) (b) (d) states that the functions of the council are to assist in the promotion of the health of the population of Malawi.
It is also to control and to exercise authority affecting the education, training and practice of persons in, and the performance of, the practices pursued by nurses and nurse technicians.
While part IV section 12, (C) states that the council has the power to approve nurses schools in accordance with the prescribed conditions, inspects such schools, or withdraw or suspend approval of any such school if the education or training thereat is not in opinion of the council, satisfactorily carried out, or if any condition imposed has no been compiled with.
"After lengthy discussions on the recommendations made from stakeholders meeting and education subcommittee, council agreed that we support the current two year upgrading program to continue that is taking place at Malawi College of Health Science. Game is encouraging government and CHAM to support other colleges to take up the two year upgrading program in additional to MCHS.
"Malawi as a National should have one diploma which should have a clear path of upgrading directly to degree level," reads part of the letter.
Council requested education subcommittee to consult training colleges on way forward if other colleges will not be able to have the capacity of training diploma students like considering bringing back the certificate in nursing and midwifery
ground including sourcing funds which they gave to the council after it had indicated that it did not have sufficient finances to implement the programme.
cheating and betrayal not only to nurses but the nation as a whole saying it has gone back on its initial
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