By Grace Zigah
The Ministry of Health has closed down the Techiman Krobo Nursing and Midwifery Training College in the Bono East Region following days of student unrest that culminated in violent clashes with police and disrupted academic activities on campus.
The closure, which took immediate effect on Wednesday, July 29, was announced in a statement directing all students to vacate the campus by 5:00 p.m. and return to their homes while authorities work to restore order.
According to the Ministry, the decision became necessary after repeated attempts by management, government officials and other stakeholders to resolve the impasse through dialogue failed to produce the desired outcome.
The Ministry said despite several meetings, counselling sessions and appeals aimed at restoring calm, some students continued to engage in acts that disrupted teaching and learning and threatened the safety of students, staff and the orderly administration of the institution.
“The temporary closure is intended to restore calm, protect lives and property, and allow the appropriate authorities to assess the situation and determine the necessary steps toward reopening the College under conducive conditions,” the Ministry stated.
Parents and guardians have been advised to make the necessary arrangements for their wards, while the Ministry assured stakeholders that efforts are underway to resolve the crisis and communicate a reopening date through official channels.
The closure follows a protest by students on Monday, July 27, during which hundreds of trainees demanded the removal of the college’s principal, Ellen Dwamena, accusing her of poor leadership and creating what they described as an unconducive learning environment.
Carrying placards and chanting anti-management slogans, the students appealed to the Ministry of Health to remove the principal and reinstate her predecessor, whom they credited with improving discipline, student welfare and the overall management of the institution.
The protesting students alleged that conditions on campus had deteriorated significantly under the current administration.
Among their grievances were claims that they were being compelled to make separate payments for utility services despite those charges allegedly being covered under their approved school fees.
Some students also accused the principal of being insensitive to their welfare and running the institution in what they described as an autocratic manner.
Additional allegations circulating during the protest included claims that the principal made dismissive remarks suggesting that “nursing is not for the poor” and that she had shown disrespect towards traditional authorities in Techiman by allegedly refusing to honour invitations from local chiefs.
These claims have been made by protesting students and have not been independently verified.
What began as a peaceful demonstration later descended into chaos after tensions escalated between the students and security personnel deployed to maintain order.
According to reports, some protesters allegedly hurled stones at police officers during the confrontation, prompting the police to fire warning shots in an attempt to disperse the crowd.
Several students were arrested during the clashes, while widely circulated videos on social media captured frightened trainees fleeing as gunshots rang out and security officers moved in to restore order.
The disturbances have reignited concerns about growing indiscipline and unresolved tensions within some tertiary institutions, particularly health training colleges, where disputes between students and management have occasionally disrupted academic work.
The Ministry of Health has reiterated that the temporary closure is intended solely to restore peace and ensure the safety of all persons on campus before academic activities resume.
It also appealed to students, parents, staff and other stakeholders to cooperate fully with measures being implemented to restore normalcy.
The Ministry emphasised that information regarding the reopening of the institution would be communicated through its official channels after a full assessment of the situation.
