The Ministry of Health has approved the Presbyterian Church of Ghana’s first Geriatric Nursing Programme to be run by the Presbyterian Church of Ghana Nursing and Midwifery College under the Brong Ahafo Area Presbyterian Health Service.
The programme, which seeks to train specialist nurses in the care of older adults, has completed its affiliation process with the University of Cape Coast and is currently at the final stage of accreditation with the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC).
Rev. Dr. Isaac Appiah, General Manager of the Brong Ahafo Area Presbyterian Health Service, announced the milestone during the 7th Development and Social Services (DSS) Consultation at the Presbyterian Women’s Centre, Abokobi.
He said the initiative comes at a critical time as Ghana experiences a growing elderly population and increasing demand for specialised geriatric care. The programme is expected to help address the shortage of trained professionals in elderly healthcare and strengthen services for older persons in hospitals, homes, and communities.
According to Rev. Dr. Appiah, the Presbyterian Health Service has already invested in building the programme’s academic capacity by supporting Dr. Charles Agyemang Prempeh, Mr. Phillip Abu, and Nurse Comfort Oseagye to pursue MPhil and PhD studies in Ageing at the University of Ghana. The three are expected to serve as permanent tutors for the programme upon completion of their studies.
Dr. Charles Agyemang Prempeh, Director of Nursing Services of the Presbyterian Health Service, is leading the programme’s development and accreditation process. Rev. Dr. Appiah also highlighted the growing demand for healthcare services within the Brong Ahafo Area Health Service. He reported that outpatient attendance reached 184,433 in 2025, exceeding the annual target, while hospital admissions rose to 8,800, representing a 17 per cent increase over projections.
At the Presbyterian Hospital, Dormaa-Ahenkro, surgical procedures increased from 2,109 in 2024 to 2,366 in 2025, while supervised deliveries rose from 2,359 to 2,448 over the same period. Antenatal and postnatal registrations also recorded steady growth.
He noted that the hospital has expanded its specialised services to include geriatrics, home-based care, periodic health examinations, and dermatology, making the introduction of the Geriatric Nursing Programme a strategic step towards strengthening care for Ghana’s ageing population.
By Rev. Immanuel Wiafe
