Malawi nursing council accreditation ‘confused’

Disgruntled nurses have questioned the manner in which the Nurses and Midwives Council of Malawi issue their licences and certification, arguing they are “unrealistic.”

Nurses in Malawi

Nyasa Times understands the Council led by Dorothy Ngoma, a professional nurse from the Kamuzu College of Nursing (KCN), has impacted negatively on the nurses working but have been to “lesser” colleges in the names of Malawi College of Health Sciences (MCHS) and the Christian Health Association of Malawi (CHAM) nurses’ colleges, among others.

We could not get through to Ngoma on Saturday but others within the Council confided to us that “there have been plenty complaints.”

“There’s a lot of bulldozing. The Council has been too intimidating and over-lording for all the applicants,” a member of the Council said.

For example, Mzuzu University (Mzuni) get a whole four years in college but if they don’t get a certificate by the Council exams they can’t practice.

“In fact, once one gets a university diploma from nursing and midwifery from College of Health Sciences they can only get a degree from KCN and nowhere else. Is that not unfair?

“And if one decides to get the same degree within other colleges while coming from the College of Health Sciences it becomes a thorn in the flesh. Now that is a problem. Because of this guideline has resulted into a lot of nurses taking up to 17 years just to get a simple first degree at KCN. Now what is the aim of the Council: to demoralize or to motivate?” wondered our Source.

Charles Amos, of Association of Midwives of Malawi (Amami) said on Thursday that he knew of the tendency but wanted to consult.

“Let me come back to you,” he said.

But Nyasa Times has learnt that Ngoma who has been a long time serving Council executive director “is a frustration.”

Some nurses that talked to us wanted Ngoma to resign, but others wished her to stay but wanted her to make amends.

The country employs around 400 nurses each year but most of them unhappy with deplorable working conditions.

Recently, nurses have made strikes in various districts, including Rumphi because of Ngoma’s, attitudes towards work.

But Minister of Health, Peter Kumpalume, has promised – before – that conditions in terms of health delivery are going to improve.

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Tasauka Kwambiri
Tasauka Kwambiri
6 years ago

I think here in Malawi all councils feel that there are above everything. See what is happening with University council. Does it mean that people who are working in these councils are the only ones highly educated? or they graduated in heaven`s universities? come on do not oppress the young ones let the learn with favorable conditions.

watcher
6 years ago

better she looks more like a man but u look worse than a dog jealousy basi

Kambuku
Kambuku
6 years ago

The Nyasatimes Reporter who wrote this article should be embarrassed with his ignorance. IGNORANCE IS NO DEFENCE. Maybe your intention was character assassination. The aggrieved nurse midwives are equally ignorant of their own nursing professional institution. PATHETIC

myz
myz
6 years ago

Whether the article is misrepresenting facts of not, one thing is still clear that There are serious problems with the nursing profession in malawi.

Pakaya
Pakaya
6 years ago

The council should really reconsider. It’s not fair to nurses. How can someone progress in such a way. And that is why other are doing other courses coz they can’t get a first degree in their field so frustrating indeed

Chibwatiko
Chibwatiko
6 years ago

Nyasatimes please verify your stories. Dorothy Ngoma does not work for Nurses and Midwives Council. She is not incharge of accreditation. It also shows ignorance on the part of the aggrieved nurses. Get your facts right people.

nanyati nanyati
nanyati nanyati
6 years ago

Nursing profession is a rare breed that one cant understand. They are naughty, proud, incosiderate, unpredictable and capricious to the last degree. Who on earth would understand the logic of subjecting graduates to another set of exams (worse still, multiple choice) inorder to be licenced? Internship would be the best as the nurse would practically demonstrate her prowess. Wake up Nurses Council from your slumber and be realistic, humaine, mature, motherly, Godly and kind. When you do this the good LORD shall reward you a millionfold!!

Nino
Nino
6 years ago

Law, does the same
Legal practice training
Then 18 months of training
Legal training contract
Then exams to be registered as a solicitor
Accountants it’s even worse
After degree, you study 8 other subjects, Then 3 years training contract
Engineering aaah! It’s almost impossible to qualify as an engineer

mkanda
mkanda
6 years ago

This article is also coming from the confused lot. Dorothy Ngoma as far as I can remember is not a NMCM Executive Director so I am wondering that someone is alluding that she is the long time ED. It may be helpful to note the the ED is Isabella Musisi Msolomba. The issue of getting a degree at KCN taking 17 years, it may not be NMCM’s confusion but the academic system that we have. Everyone is Malawi whether Nkhoma-trained or Oxford-trained nurse has to be licenced to practice. Therefore, the issue of Mzuzu or that does not seem to… Read more »

nasson
6 years ago

wabodza iweyo Ngoma siwa council koma nurses organisation kkkkkkkkkkk kafufuzenso

ccg
ccg
6 years ago

I have observed that there is misrepresentation of facts in this story: 1. Ngoma is not Executive Director of Nurses and Midwives Council and she is not at KCN. 2. Licence to practice is a requirement for all nursing cadres and it is not perculiar to Mzuni nursing graduate nursing only. It is not the fault of KCN that it is the only University College which offers Mature entry programmes for nurses neither is it a problem of the regulatory body. The council prescribed the syllabi and it is up to the training institutions to implement them. unfortunately CHAM colleges… Read more »

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