School of Medicine and Health Sciences not closed - UDS

Tamale, July 21, GNA - Authorities of the University for Development Studies (UDS) on Monday categorically debunked media report that the School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) have been closed down under the instruction of the government.

At a Press conference organized in Tamale and attended by Deans of various faculties of the University, Professor John Kaburise, Vice Chancellor of the University said: "the University has not received any directive from the government, especially from the office of the Vice President with regards to what the 'The Ghanaian Voice' seek to convey to the public".

"The report is totally false and uninformed and we debunk it," he added. Prof. Kaburise explained that the story was based on a recommendations of a Sub-Committee's report set up at the instance of the school to sort out, which University should award degrees to graduates of SMHS of UDS, and to find out the practicality of the continued training of SMHS students at both Korle-Bu and KNUST and the facilities required for the accreditation of the Bachelor of Human Biology degree.

He said, a number of options on the issues raised were discussed in the report, including the desirability of an increase in the intake of students into the SMHS and that there was never a mention anywhere in the report that the government had instructed the SMHS to be closed down.

Professor Kaburise stressed that that Management of the University and its Academic Board had the statutory mandate to discuss and give recommendation as to what should be done and not government and called on the media to always crosscheck facts before going public.

He said the University would continue to pursuit its aims of study with special emphasis on Agricultural Science, Medical and Health Sciences and Integrated Development Studies and that any deviation would be illegal and an explicit breach of the laws of the country.

He said UDS was confident that government was aware of its national responsibility to adequately resource the university to fulfil its mission adding that, that mission was underscored when the Senior Minister, Mr John Henry Mensah addressed the school's congregation in February 2002.

He assured the public that students would be admitted into the Human Biology degree programme this year and that the programmes of SMHS were "too integral a part to be disrupted flippantly".

Prof. Kaburise used the opportunity to appeal for funding of the school so as to stand on a firm rock to fulfil its aims of offering quality programmes and projects for students.