Blatant And Unprovoked Discrimination Against Post Basics By Ministry Of Health And It’s Surrogate Institutions

Post basics simply refer to a category of health workers who have done basic program in the field of health such as Community Health Nurses (CHNs), Health Assistant Clinical (HAC), Registered General Nurses (RGN), Registered Community Health Nurses (RCHNs), Registered Mental Nurses (RMN), Field Technicians (FTs), Registered Midwives (RM) and Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) who wants to go to school to broaden horizons in the field of health care. This article would focus mostly on CHNs, HACs, FT And EHOs. The plight of this health workers when going to school is very heart breaking and unfortunate, the directive of Ministry of Health is that of antagonistic rather than complementary. College of Health - Kintampo would be the main center of this discussion.

Post basics before they were offered admission into their first institution submitted their SSSCE OR WASSCE certificate meaning they successfully completed senior secondary (high) school, no matter how some of them might have gotten bad results, the facts still remain that they are SSS/SHS graduates, though many people with good results still offer certificate courses due to their peculiar situation. Further two years of intensive training are giving them to come out and work as frontline healthworkers especially in the rural hard-to-reach areas. What then is their fate?

After struggling and wallowing in abject despair for at least three(3) years a paltry study leave with pay are giving them a for only to be financially siphoned by the same ministry, according to the policy guideline for study leave (No HRM 105) study leave is supposed to be an incentive "Employees shall be encouraged and assisted to develop their personal and professional career for future job in the Ghana Health Service " the institution mandated by Ministry of Health (MOH) to train these categories sadly turn to milk them dry.

Post basics who are experienced in terms of health delivery are forced to write entrance exams as compared to the direct students from SHS who have no idea or experience in health care set up yet do not write any exams, this exams is done at an exorbitant fee to the detriment of the vulnerable post basics, asa sign of double jeopardy, one cannot be guaranteed of admission even after passing this distressing mental exercise. Normally in the university after matured entrance exams or access course, there is no headache about interview, why is it so different for post basics in MoH institution especially Kintampo College of Health? What wrong has post basics done after dying hard to serve mother Ghana?

Post basics after writing the exams are subjected to hard interview, what is regrettable, wicked, and unforgivable is the fact that post basics are charged higher for the same interview as compared to their direct counterparts, whilst direct students were paying Ghc60, post basics were paying Ghc100 last year for the same interview, this is criminal in my candid opinion! It's in sharp contrast to the spirit and letter of article 24 of the 1992 constitution, one cannot phantom why MoH would be cruel to it's own staff. All this punishment are meted out to them without assurance of being admitted. IS THIS WORLD FAIR AT ALL TO POST BASICS?

The woes of post basics worsens when admitted, the high entrance exams fee and interview fee are just to Psyche them about the worse calamity ahead during admission, i wouldn't just describe it as criminal and inhuman but prefer to call it "daylight robbery". How can a post basics who are admitted into the same class with direct students for the same program pay different school fees? Post basics pay twice as much as the direct would pay yet write the same quizzes, exams and above all graduate with the same certificate, last year as direct were paying around Ghc1600, the post basics were paying around Ghc3030 as admission fee in College of Health, Kintampo, how would you call this? All these were sanctioned by the MOH. Is it not a way of saying we don't need you in our institution? If the intention is that post basics have money then they are mistaken because they have a lot of responsibilities as well, including caring for their spouses, children and other family members and are always in debt, they survive mostly on loans.

With the exception of Health Promotion and Community Mental Health why can't College of Health accept post basics in second year (level 200)? Are we as a country saying the two year training coupled with at least 3years working experience is equal to nothing? Why upon all this suffering post basics have to start at level 100 with direct students?

Why can't the ministry through it institution award diploma to community health midwives after completion? What wrong have they done? After completing 2year certificate course and serving for at least 3years and going back to school for 2years you still deny them even diploma and give them certificate, this is demotivating and its gradually creating mental apathy.

It appears clear from this article that whilst post basics are fulfilling their side of the bargain(social contract) , ministry of health is always stepping on their unencapsulated simple nerve receptors thereby causing avoidable pain and lower self esteem. I therefore call on all well meaning Ghanaians to rally behind this vulnerable workers, and MoH to do what is Just and acceptable. I also urge all these category of staff, those at home and those in school to be resilient in the midst of this flood of unprovoked attacks and discriminations by their own "mother", work hard for mother Ghana, I know the good people of Ghana would help you succeeded in your bid to broaden your knowledge and help mother Ghana. THANK YOU

......Shaibu Issifu (Jnr Prof).....
(General Secretary of OHSAG)
College of Health - Kintanpo
0548437494