“We Will Get There!” says UHAS Vice Chancellor

The University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) plans to admit at least 600 students this year after admitting 155 foundation students in 2012. Additionally, UHAS projects to have a student population of 3,500 students within the next five years, says the Registrar, Mr. Kofi Siabi-Mensah.

Currently located in temporary premises at the Volta Regional Hospital, UHAS is pursuing a bilateral agreement with the Chinese government to shortly begin building the first of eight schools at the permanent campus at Sokode Lokoe near Ho.

A previous write up on the current state of affairs at the University dealt with the Schools of Basic and Biomedical Sciences, Medicine, Allied Health Sciences, Public Health and the School of Nursing and Midwifery. In this piece, the current developments in the following departments are analyzed: Information Communication Technology (ICT), Internal Audit, Library and the Works and Physical departments.

Mr. Obeng Adjei, Chief ICT Officer, is leading the UHAS charge to outline a comprehensive ICT strategy, key components of which are as follows;

• Installation of backbone fiber optic cables to support large volumes of data and voice communication has been largely executed with the contractor awaiting final payment approval from the Ministry of Education

• Provision of internet facility at every location of the University is partially done with areas in need of additional boosters to improve access identified for support

• IP telephony services have been provided to all key staff with ongoing plans to supply telephones to other staff.

• Feasibility work on actual deployment of video conferencing systems to enable external lectures is completed and awaiting management and Council’s further scrutiny.

Mr. Thomas Kwegyir-Abaidoo, Director of Internal Audit has taken steps to align the University’s auditing practices with statutory legal requirements. Among accomplishments for the unit are the submission of a draft internal audit charter, secured approval for draft Terms of Reference (TOR) for the establishment of UHAS’ Audit Report Implementation Committee in line with Audit Service Act, 2000 (Act 584) and ongoing compilation of all the fixed assets of the University.

The University librarian, Mr. T. Yeboah, and four assistants have led the effort to supply UHAS 97 titles of books in 324 volumes through EPP Books Ltd, while an additional 695 titles are being processed for acquisition. Books are being labeled using a machine purchased by the University. Additionally, the University has an e— library with 37 computers with internet connection. UHAS students are provided with skills to navigate rich databases of information, created as part of a consortium agreed with the University of Ghana Balme Library. This agreement permits UHAS library to “access the services of the Millenium Library Management System and electronic databases of Balme, as well as assist in developing our library portal” says Mr. Yeboah.

Mr. Bernard Akabah heads the University’s Works and Physical Development Directorate which is currently overseeing numerous construction projects approved by the University Council. Under a bilateral agreement between the Governments of Ghana and China, construction of the School of Basic and Biomedical Sciences, a students’ hostel and staff quarters at the University’s permanent site at Sokode is currently being executed under a 20 month contract awarded to the China Yanjian Company Ltd.

Separate infrastructural projects approved by the Council are the construction of laboratory buildings at the permanent site, a seven classroom complex near the Ho Nurses Complex, renovation of the National Onchocerciasis centre at Hohoe, construction of a 500 bed students’ hostel by the development office of SSNIT at the permanent University site and the initiation of processes for the award of contracts for the construction of classrooms and hostel blocks at Hohoe.

Amidst the challenges, UHAS Vice Chancellor Prof. Binka has become famous for the spirited response, “We will get there!”

Sodzi Sodzi-Tettey

www.sodzisodzi.com

Sodzi_tettey@hotmail.com

26th June, 2013