The team of Nursing students and faculty members from Grand Valley State University (GVSU) who came to Ghana for a two-week exchange programme has expressed gratitude to the School of Nursing and Midwifery for making the programme a success.

 Speaking at a closing reception, the leader of the team, Prof. Sylvia Mapepe, said they had really benefitted from the support and cooperation from staff and students of the School of Nursing and Midwifery in particular and the University in general. She noted that the students had learnt valuable lessons that would broaden their knowledge on Ghana’s health system. She called on management of UCC to make arrangements for faculty and students to also visit GVSU as part of the already existing collaboration.

The Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Prof.  George K. T. Oduro, who chaired the function, commended GVSU team for sacrificing to travel to undertake the programme in Ghana.  “I am very sure that you chose to come to Ghana because of the love you have for your chosen profession because, the environment, communities and health facilities you were attached to work do not meet the standards of health facilities in the US,” he added.

Prof. Oduro noted that without healthy people the community would not be able to develop. He therefore, called on the students who would be graduating to remember Ghana especially, the Cape Coast and the Central Region adding that “we will be grateful to partner with you to provide quality healthcare to the people”.

The Dean of the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Prof. A. N. M. Pappoe, was excited that the collaboration between GVSU and UCC was yielding positive response. “This has been the tradition that started in 2013 and for me it is a moment of reflection and sharing what we found on the field to help us contribute positively to healthcare in our respective countries,” noted.

Some of the GVSU Nursing students shared their experience on the field and were delighted to have played a role in the programme. The students also donated set of books and equipment to the University.

Some of the activities faculty members and students engaged in during the two-week study abroad programme were “observational visit to the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital and Ankaful Psychiatric Hospital, post conference analysis of each day’s programme and Community Outreach with UCC Nursing Students Association (NUSA) at Ahotokrom in the Komenda Edina Eguafo Municipal Assembly (KEEA). Others included field replacement and rotation at urban/peri-urban health centres, cultural event at the Department of Music and Dance Laboratory, field trip to Cape Coast Castle, Hans Cottage, Kakum Rain Forest and Monkey Sanctuary.