THE aged-care program at Sangam School of Nursing and Health Care Education has been suspended, according to its academic board chairman, Amraiya Naidu.
Mr Naidu said the program was halted by the Higher Education Commission.
“There were thousands of students with certificates who had no prospects for employment,” he said.
He said the review was intended to “take stock” of what was being taught and to assess whether the qualification was genuinely useful for employment.
However, he said, its own outcomes show the program can deliver results.
He said 55 Sangam students who completed the aged-care course earlier were recruited under Australia’s PALM scheme and are now “gainfully employed” in aged-care facilities across Australia.
“These graduates prove that the qualification, when properly taught, leads to real opportunities.”
While HEC carried out its review, Sangam Nursing College moved to secure its future, negotiating a partnership with TAFE Queensland.
Through this collaboration, Sangam will soon offer the Australian Certificate III in Individual Support, a qualification widely recognised in the Australian aged-care sector.
He said the college wanted to ensure that students were not left behind, and that future graduates would have qualifications that opened legitimate pathways to employment.
100 graduates ready to fill healthcare gaps
ONE hundred new nurses graduated from Sangam College of Nursing and Health Care Education in Labasa yesterday and are set to help fill the gaps left by nurses who have moved overseas.
The college’s academic board chairman, Amraiya Naidu, said they have been producing skilled nurses for more than a decade.
“The first batch of degree-qualified nurses graduated in 2015. Since then, we have trained 927 nurses who are now working across Fiji,” he said.
Mr Naidu said the college also started a bridging course to help diplomaqualified nurses upgrade to a degree.
“Around 445 nurses took part in the program, which combines online and in-person classes and is offered in Labasa, Suva, Lautoka, Ba, and Taveuni.”
Over the years, Sangam has also trained hundreds more in specialised fields.
“The college over the years also graduated 181 midwives, 35 with post postgraduate diploma in Nursing Leadership and Management, 60 with post post-graduate diploma in Child Health Nursing.
“This is in collaboration with Country Manukau, Auckland, and the Fiji Nursing Council, 28 enrolled Nurses, 19 practitioners and 203 with the National Certificate in Aged Care and Community Care.”
He said the college was proud of its graduates and the important work they do for Fiji.
“With many nurses leaving the country, these new graduates are needed now more than ever.”
He said the new nurses would soon begin work in hospitals and health centres across the country, helping to keep health services running smoothly.
