MOH receives report on malpractices at Komfo Anokye

Accra, July 29, GNA - The Committee appointed by the Ministry of Health to investigate fraudulent admission of students to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Nursing Training College, Kumasi, on Thursday submitted its report to the Sector Minister Dr Kawku Afriyie. The four-member Committee was set up in April 2004 to investigate the circumstances that led to the admission of 79 students with fake results slips into the College.

The Committee, chaired by Mr James Berko, a Retired Headmaster, had Mr Baffuor Oduro-Ampomah; Mrs Afua Aboagyewaa Kwarteng, Principal of the College and Mr George Tetteh as members.

Mr Berko said the Committee took evidence from 60 teaching and non-teaching staff of the College, parents of the affected students, officials from the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and some of the affected students.

He said investigations revealed that the use of fraudulent documents to gain admission was a common practice nationwide. The report recommended that the perpetrators as well as their collaborators be prosecuted and students involved should not be allowed admission into any public educational institution.

It further recommended that result slips should always be verified at WAEC before admission is offered to students.

"This we believe will ensure that students admitted have genuine documents," Mr Berko said.

Dr Afriyie commended the Committee for its speed and said the Ministry would not tolerate any form of corruption in its training institutions. "This, I must say, applies to all health institutions." He said only qualified personnel should be accepted to undergo training because "we do no want any unprofessional to mishandle our patients using them for trial and error". He said the Ministry would study the recommendations of the report and make its decisions known to the public within one month. 29 July 04