KNUST builds teaching hospital to train health students

Tema, June 21, GNA -- The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi will on July 17, cut the sod for work to begin on the construction of a teaching hospital train its students offering health courses.

The Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Kwasi Kwafo Adarkwa, who announced this in Tema on Thursday, said this had become necessary because the Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital where the students train lacks certain vital facilities.

He said funds for the project would come from internally generated sources, the GETFund and donations from outside and that the project would begin with the Out-Patients Department and progress gradually. The Vice-Chancellor was addressing the Tema Chapter of the NKUST Alumni at a forum as part of his nation-wide visit to all the alumni to brief members on developments taking place on campus and solicit their financial support especially towards the construction of hostels. He said a lot of developments had taken place at the university such as the introduction of more courses like entrepreneurship, social sciences and the establishment of additional departments. He said the university needed about 300 billion cedis to complete 27 other projects.

Prof Adarkwa said the students had come out with a lot of inventions and students of the Department of Chemistry have produced quality indelible ink used for voting.

He appealed to the Electoral Commission to fall on the university for the ink rather than importing it.

He said due to shortage of health personnel, students of the College of Health Sciences are given the opportunity to work for 10 hours a week at the University hospital.

Prof Adarkwa appealed to all alumni to support the university to build the hostel as the number of students continues to increase yearly, thus putting pressure on the same facilities built years ago. On security on campus, Prof Adarkwa said security cameras have been placed at vantage points to check thefts and other vices while shuttle buses have also been provided in addition to the erection of streetlights.

Professor Seth Opuni Asiamah, National President of the KNUST Alumni and Provost of the College of Architecture and Planning, appealed to technocrats to pay one percent of their salaries into the hostel fund. He said though the project has taken off, it is at a slow pace due to lack of funds and that those who honour their obligation would be rewarded with certificates and plagues in the form of wood, bronze, silver, gold and platinum depending on the amount paid. He said one block, which is estimated at 10.5 billion cedis, could take 192 students and is expected to complete in April next year to enable students occupy it at the beginning of next academic year.