CALLS by the General Nursing Council (GNC) for police  to  immediately close the African Health Care Institute of Health Sciences and other private institutions offering courses for nursing assistants without its authority are timely.
Timely in the sense that the GNC was disappointed that the African Health Care Institute of Health Science defied Government’s directive to stop training nurses without the council’s authority.
It is a requirement that any institution training cadres in nursing assistance or any related courses should apply to the council which in turn assesses and inspects the premises to ensure suitability.
It is believed that there is no private institution in Zambia given a licence to train nursing assistants except courses offered only at Mwachisompola and Ndola Hospital.
Nursing being a ‘delicate’ profession, calls for seriousness and dedicated professionals trained to handle patients who mostly look up to medics for hope.
Training any ‘Jim and Jack’ who lack proper guidelines and can’t observe given ethics, results in a cadre of professionals void of passion.
It is because of such short-comings, that we have encountered a number of physical and verbal abuses from patients and their relatives to medical personnel.
Tension between medics and patients maybe said to be historical as both parties advance different views which point to unprofessionalism.
Unprofessionalism in the sense that most of the trainees come out half-baked and simply wear uniforms just to earn a living.
Nursing, like other medical professions is sometimes referred to as a calling, meaning those in these professions ought to put in more than just fulfilling a shift.
Little wonder we have heard of some people masquerading as medical staff when in fact not, such are a product of half baked trainees.
We, therefore, agree with the move by GNC to scrutinise any other health institution offering training to would be medical staff.