Pregnant nursing students can now write exams in Ghana

The Ministry of Health has asked that pregnant students and nursing mother of Nursing and Midwife Training Colleges be allowed to write their examinations just as every other student.

The Public Relations Officer Robert Cudjoe said the policy which prevents the pregnant students of Health Training Colleges from writing exams has been scrapped.

He said that this decision was arrived at after a meeting with the various stakeholders of the Health Training Institutions in the country.

“In, effect the meeting took into account human rights issues vis-a-vis the 1992 Constitution of Ghana as well as certain International conventions on the matter. At the end of the meeting, it was agreed that the policy of barring pregnant students from writing exams is cancelled.”

This decision follows a standoff that ensued between students of the Gushegu Midwifery Training School and the authorities of the institution when the later asked pregnant students not to sit for on-going exams.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwifery Association denied knowledge of such a law that prevents pregnant students from writing examinations.

The President of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwifery Association, Kwaku Asante Krobea said “I do not know of any law that prevents pregnant students from taking part in exams. What is happening at Gushegu is shocking.”

However, Robert Cudjoe argued that they policy was instituted to serve a purpose but with the changing society there was a need to take a second look at the law.

“I believe at the time it was instituted, it might have met a need. Society is dynamic so going forward, it's become necessary to look at its relevance or applicability, hence a decision to cancel the policy.”