Students of the Koforidua Nursing Training School in the Eastern Region say they are struggling to access the students loan scheme after government’s assurance that they could access the financial assistance following the scrapping of the allowances.
According to the students, anytime they visit the Koforidua office of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), they are turned away with the explanation that government has not entered into any agreement with them for nursing trainees to be given the loan facility.
[contextly_sidebar id=”qAdUvB0grYemJUUxzp2d0qztQBmmmcY4″]“We are not happy that the allowances have been scrapped, but the loans which is an alternative too, we have not received anything for the past two years,” they said.
The students made the appeal at a dialogue session with the Eastern Regional Minister, Mavis Ama Frimpong, who paid a working visit to the school as part of her tour of public institutions.
They said their inability to access the loans is affecting them academically since they have to pay for utility bills, feeding and other needs required at the hospitals for their clinicals.
They are thus calling on government to come to their aid.
Currently, it’s only the final year nursing trainees who are receiving the student allowances, whiles the second and first year students are expected to be enrolled on the student loan trust facility according to the new policy.
Ms Frimpong promised to take up the issue with the appropriate authorities to ensure that the process of the loan acquisition is quickened to facilitate their studies.
Mrs Matilda Bansah, the Principal of the school, thanked the Minister for the visit and disclosed that the school obtained 100 per cent and 98 per cent respectively in General Nursing and Midwifery licensure examination last year.
She also noted that the school had satisfied all the conditions including the automation of the library and some infrastructure required for accreditation from the National Accreditation Board as a diploma awarding institution.
–
Source: GNA