About Us

Established by the Government of Ghana in 1969, the Psychiatric Nurses’ Training College, Ankaful (PNTC) is Ghana’s foremost public tertiary health institution dedicated exclusively to psychiatric nursing education. Located in the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly of the Central Region—adjacent to the historic Ankaful Psychiatric Hospital—PNTC has grown from a pioneering initiative into a leading premier center of excellence for mental health training in Africa.

The College began its training mandate with the Qualified Registered Mental Nursing (QRMN) and Enrolled Mental Health Nursing (EMN) programs. In 1974, the curriculum was expanded with the introduction of the Post SRN/RMN program (an 18-month specialization for general nurses), which was subsequently phased out in 2002 as part of a broader curriculum restructuring exercise.

A landmark transition occurred in 2003, when the College adopted the Diploma in Registered Mental Nursing (RMN) program, with an initial intake of just 40 students. This marked a shift toward higher academic standardization under the regulatory oversight of the Nurses and Midwifery Council (NMC) of Ghana. Building on this foundation, the College further expanded its scope in 2017 with the introduction of the Registered Community Mental Nursing (RCMN) program, reflecting Ghana’s growing emphasis on decentralized, community-based mental health care.

Operating under the auspices of the Ministry of Health, PNTC’s curriculum and professional standards remain strictly regulated by the NMC. Today, PNTC proudly fosters a vibrant academic community of nearly 1,250 students drawn from all corners of the nation and the wider West African sub-region, solidifying its reputation as a continental leader in mental health workforce development.