Windhoek: Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services Susan Ndjaleka has urged nearly 980 nursing graduates from the Welwitchia University to pass the national licensing examination and join the country's registered nursing profession.
According to Namibia Press Agency, her remarks follow a recent report by the Health Professions Councils of Namibia (HPCNA), which indicated that more than 2,680 nursing graduates nationwide have failed the licensing examination required to practise in Namibia.
More than 1,000 students graduated in various disciplines during Welwitchia University's graduation ceremony in Windhoek on Thursday. The ceremony was held under the theme, 'From Knowledge to Impact: Shaping the Future'.
Delivering the keynote address, Ndjaleka said knowledge must translate into competence and professional excellence rather than contribute to failure statistics. She emphasized that Welwitchia University is widely recognised by industry partners, including professionals within the Ministry of Health and Social Services, for producing nurses who demonstrate strong theoretical knowledge and practical competence.
"I charge each of you nursing graduates to ensure you do not become part of the failing statistics but instead demonstrate the excellence this institution trains for by passing the national examination," she said.
Welwitchia University Chancellor and Co-Founder Scholastika Iipinge, who also addressed the ceremony, acknowledged government's efforts to fund some of the institution's students through the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF). She called on NSFAF to fully implement its commitment to cover tuition fees for eligible students at both public and private institutions of higher learning.
"I wish to call upon NSFAF to cover tuition fees 100 per cent, as promised, for all students at public and private institutions of higher learning in Namibia," she said, adding that all Namibian students deserve equal treatment.
Iipinge also appealed to the private sector to invest in students' education rather than only recruiting them after graduation. "I would like to call upon the captains of industry to come to the party by sponsoring some students and not only look for them after they graduate," she said.
She congratulated the graduates and encouraged them to serve their communities with compassion, integrity and courage. Welwitchia University is a private tertiary institution specialising in healthcare, nursing, and education.