AGNES NYANZU AND NURSE&MIDWIVES COUNCIL OF GHANA [2002]DLCHRAJ5890

Date	2002-08-14
Suit No.	Our Ref: CHRAJ/396/99/1313
Citation No.	[2002]DLCHRAJ5890

B. K. OPPONG

[2002]DLCHRAJ5890
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;color:#00B050">AGNES NYANZU <o:p></o:p>(COMPLAINANT)<o:p></o:p>AND<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;color:#00B050">NURSE&amp;MIDWIVES COUNCIL
OF GHANA <o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENTS)<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center;
mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">(CHRAJ)<o:p></o:p>

Our Ref: CHRAJ/396/99/1313&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;DATE: 14/8/2002<o:p></o:p>

</div>commissioner:<o:p></o:p>B. K. OPPONG DEPUTY COMMISSIONER LEGAL &amp; OPERATIONS <span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#1F1F00">FOR <span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;
font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;color:#111100">COMMISSIONER<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center;
mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">DECISION<o:p></o:p>

</div>In a petition dated 15th June 1999, the Complainant prayed this
Commission to investigate a matter between herself and the Respondent.<o:p></o:p>She stated that she was a trainee nurse at Nurses Training
College, Sekondi. She stated that she failed one paper 3 times and was told
that in accordance with the regulations she had to forfeit the chance of
becoming a nurse. She also claimed that one of her juniors Ms. Searyoh also
failed the exam thrice but was given a fourth chance to rewrite the exam. As a
result, she alleges discriminatory treatment.<o:p></o:p>The Nurses and Midwives Council for Ghana commented as follows:<o:p></o:p><ol style="margin-top:0in" start="1" type="1">
 <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; border: none;"><span style="font-size:
 12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:
 &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">The Complainant
 petitioned them in 1996. It was taken up at the 9th Council of the governing
 Council and they concluded that she failed "Surgery and Surgical
 Nursing" three times. Also that according to the Nurses Regulations,
 1971 LI 681, Part IV, Section 18, she cannot be allowed a fourth chance.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ol>Section 18 states as follows:<o:p></o:p>"A candidate may at the
discretion of the Board be permitted to re-enter for the whole or for part of
any examinations but where a candidate has failed on three occasions to pass
any examination or any part of an examination, he shall not re-enter for such
examination or part unless he has undergone, since the occasion on which he
last so failed, and immediately prior to re-entering the examination, at least
six months further training in the subject or subjects in which he
failed".<o:p></o:p>(2)The Complainant could have petitioned the Council for more time
to prepare for the exam if she felt unprepared to write it.<o:p></o:p>(3)She wrote her petition in July 1996, 2 years and 5 months after
she failed the exam for the third time in February 1994.<o:p></o:p>The issue for determination by this Commission is whether or not
there has been discrimination by the Nurses and Midwives Council.<o:p></o:p>The Nurses and Midwives Council explained to this Commission that
the background to the Complainant and Miss Emelia Searyoh's case.<o:p></o:p>The Council stated that when
Miss Emelia Searyoh was referred for the second time, she was supposed to have
gone to school for a period of one year. However, her superior officers did not
give her that opportunity.<o:p></o:p>Therefore she petitioned the Council before she wrote the paper
for the third ti</main>