College of Health Sciences organises 3rd Congregation

Accra, May 29, GNA - One hundred and thirty five (135) graduates of the College of Health Sciences of the University of Ghana, Legon on Saturday took the Hippocratic Oath at the Third Congregation and Swearing-In Ceremony of the College.

The graduates, clad in academic robes acknowledged the cheers of friends, family members and sympathisers as they approached the podium to receive their certificates from the Chancellor of the University, Oyeeman Wereko Ampem II.

The overall best students from the various academic disciplines also received various sums of monies and certificates of honour. The graduates comprise four Fellows of The West African Post-Graduate Medical College, 72 medical doctors, 27 Master of Philosophy (Mphil) Public Health graduates and nine Microbiologists, made up of one Philosophy Degree (PhD) Holder with the remaining eight in the MPhil category.

The rest were six MPhil in Nursing, eight Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) and nine from the School of Allied health Sciences. The Provost of the College, Rev. Professor Andrews Seth Ayettey, said there were 214 doctors in residency programmes at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra preparing for the West Africa Post-Graduate Medical Examinations as compared to 40 in 1999.

"The number of students pursuing courses leading to Masters in Public Health, MPhil and PhD had also increased ... from about 20 in 1999 to 103 in 2004".

Rev.Prof. Ayettey said the College was on target in plans to produce adequate numbers of specialists for the major regional and district hospitals.

"At the same time we, (College) are producing medical scientists for research and teaching at our universities to make medical education sustainable."

Mr Sam Okudjeto, Chairman of the 11-member Council of the College, said the approval of the University Council for the upgrading of the Nursing School had assisted the College to realise its full complement of six constituent schools.

He appealed to the Ministry of Health to offer incentive packages such as the payment of Additional Duty Hour Allowance to Basic Science Teachers at the College to help retain them. Mr Barnard Jones of Rotary International, who was the Special Guest of Honour, said the global charitable organisation had initiated a Peace and Conflict Resolution Programme in seven universities in the world for the pursuance of Masters Degree on the subject.

The Mission Statement of the College is to produce highly qualified and competent health professionals and medical scientists to provide, preventive and curative services to meet the health needs of the nation and the global community through world class excellence in teaching, research and dissemination of knowledge.

The core competences of the College are Nursing, Medicine, Dentistry, Public Health, Allied Health Sciences, Biomedical Research and Consultancy Services to meet existing and emerging health challenges in order to compete effectively in the globalised world. The Foundation institutions are the University of Ghana- Medical School; Dental School; School of Allied Health Sciences, School of Nursing and the Noguchi memorial Institute for Medical Research.