Bridging The Health Equity Gap: Why Nalerigu Nursing College Deserves A Special Quota For North East Regional Applicants

INTRODUCTION: A Question of Fairness
The pursuit of universal health coverage and a robust healthcare system in Ghana must be anchored in equity. It is therefore a matter of national concern that the North East Region, specifically the area surrounding the Nalerigu Nursing and Midwifery Training College, faces a unique structural disadvantage in the training of its own health professionals.

While the southern belt of Ghana boasts a dense network of health training institutions—often with multiple colleges within a single administrative district—the North East Region tells a different story. It is a story of vast geography and scarce infrastructure. This disparity demands a policy intervention. We argue that the Nalerigu Nursing and Midwifery Training College, as the sole public health training institution serving six entire administrative districts, deserves a special quota to prioritize the admission of indigenous applicants from its catchment area.

THE ARGUMENT: A Case of Geographic Disparity vs. Infrastructure Scarcity

1. The Arithmetic of Access: South vs. North East

In the southern sector, it is not uncommon to find a nursing training college in almost every constituency. This creates a multiplier effect: access is high, competition is distributed, and the chances of a local student being admitted locally are significantly higher. If we applied that same "one college per constituency" standard to the North East Region, how many colleges would we need? The region currently has six districts. To achieve parity of access with the south, we would theoretically need six colleges. However, we have only one well established with robust infrastructure. The rest of the two which were recently set up are struggling to survive.

2. The Admissions Capacity Conundrum
If we had those six hypothetical colleges, and each admitted, for example, 1000 students annually, the North East Region would produce 6000 trained nurses and midwives from the local population per year which would have been far more than double what is currently considered an unauthorised admission qouta. Instead, we have one college admitting a specific cohort size. Because this single institution must serve as a national asset, its limited spaces are diluted across applicants from the entire country. Consequently, the very communities it was built to serve are often priced out or graded out of opportunities to attend.

3. The Infrastructure Bottleneck
Why not simply build three more colleges to match the south? Even the two others in walewale and Yagba are infrastructurally backward to warrant any serious admissions. The answer lies in the practical realities of infrastructure development, resource allocation, and population density. Building and accrediting a nursing training college is a massive capital-intensive venture. While these are long-term goals for the government, the immediate healthcare needs of the people in those six districts cannot wait. Therefore, since we cannot multiply the infrastructure overnight, we must optimize the use of the existing infrastructure we have.

THE SOLUTION: The Case for a Special Quota
Given the fact that Nalerigu is the only college serving a multi-district area, we propose the implementation of a "Catchment Area Special Quota." This is not a request for lowering standards, but for correcting a structural imbalance.

· The Rationale: A special quota (e.g., reserving 60-70% of admission slots for applicants from the six districts of the North East Region) would ensure that the local population benefits directly from the presence of the institution in their midst.

· The Human Impact: This policy would guarantee that nurses and midwives trained at Nalerigu are more likely to understand the local cultural context, speak the local languages, and—crucially—stay to serve in these rural communities after graduation, rather than seeking postings in the cities where they may have familial ties.

· National Cohesion: This is not a divisive suggestion but a corrective one. It mirrors the principle of affirmative action used in various forms globally to ensure that underserved or geographically disadvantaged populations are not left behind in national development.

CONCLUSION
The status quo treats unequals equally, and that is the root of the injustice. By insisting on a national-level playing field for admissions without considering the severe lack of institutional density in the North East, we effectively exclude an entire region from the nursing profession in their own backyard.

We call on the Ministry of Health, the Nursing and Midwifery Council, and the Ghana Health Service to review the admissions policy for the Nalerigu Nursing and Midwifery Training College. Let us treat the unique case of the North East Region with a unique solution. Grant Nalerigu a special quota, and we will take a significant step toward a truly equitable health workforce distribution in Ghana.

Yentik Gariba
Concerned Citizen
Nalerigu, North East Region
([email protected])

Cell: +233243054204