A total of 2,857 students comprising 2,808 females and 49 males who pursued their programmes at the 26 Nursing and Midwifery Training Colleges (NMTCs) across the country were presented with Diploma in Midwifery certificates.

The Diploma in Midwifery programme was introduced to raise the status and enhance the level of professionalism for further development of midwives through higher education.

The Vice Chancellor, Professor Joseph Ghartey-Ampiah, at the congregation ceremony, reiterated the commitment of the UCC to working with stakeholders in the health sector and other relevant bodies to train highly professional and motivated personnel to provide quality health care to Ghanaians.

He said the introduction of the top-up programme in Midwifery had come to fill the academic gap that disqualified Post Nurse Assistant Clinical and Post Nurse Assistant Preventive (Post NAC/NAP) graduates from pursuing further studies in universities in Ghana.

He said subject to approval from the National Accreditation Board (NAB) and the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE), UCC hoped to begin a Bachelor of Science in Midwifery in the 2020/2021 academic year.

Prof Ghartey-Ampiah said the University, as part of its mentorship programme, would continue to build the capacities of staff of its affiliate institutions offering the Diploma in Midwifery programme.

In that regard, he said, the College of Health and Allied Sciences was working towards introducing various programmes at the Masters and PhD levels for principals and tutors of the NMTCs to upgrade their knowledge.

He noted that midwives played vital roles in the health delivery system of every country as quality midwifery reduced maternal and newborn mortality and stillbirth rate by over 80 per cent and pre-term labour and birth by 24 per cent.

Conscious of the fact that maternal mortality reduction remained a priority under the Sustainable Development Goal-Three (SGD-3), he said UCC would not renege on its responsibility of training highly motivated and professional midwives to help the country achieve the SDG-3, which aims to reduce the global maternity mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030.

Prof Ghartey-Ampiah urged the midwives to exhibit high level of professionalism in their health facilities and abide by the Code of Conduct to promote and protect the interest and dignity of patients, clients and their relatives.

"Being a midwife is an inspiring and immensely fulfilling role that requires qualities including confidence, compassion and trust. I therefore urge you to exhibit these qualities in the facilities that you work", he advised.

Mrs Nancy Thompson, the Chairperson of the University Governing Council, admonished the midwives to ensure that patients received utmost treatment and work towards eliminating complaints about negligence and ruddiness often labelled against nurses and health professionals.

She encouraged them to continue to upgrade their skills in their chosen profession while they strive to achieve greater heights.