Education Minister presenting an award to Stephen Say
THE UNIVERSITY of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) in the Volta Region of Ghana has demonstrated it is on its way to becoming a leading health and allied science university in Africa.
No wonder the first batch of Doctor of Pharmacy students obtained a 100 percent pass in the recent Pharmacy Council Professional Qualification Examination. The third batch of 72 Medical students presented for the final Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) part II also obtained a 100 percent pass.
According to the Vice Chancellor of University, Professor Lydia Aziato, the results confirmed that previous pass rates were not a fluke, but an affirmation that UHAS was a place where students were transformed into world-class health and allied science professionals.
She made the observation during the Seventh Congregation of the University recently health at the main campus (Green Valley) located at Sokode near Ho, the Volta Regional Capital.
In all, about 826 students graduated after completing various academic courses. They include 231 from the School of Nursing and Midwifery, 228 from the School of Allied Health Sciences and 167 from the Fred N. Binka School of Public Health.
The School of Basic and Biomedical Sciences graduated 53 while the School of Medicine 107 graduates made up of 71 Bachelors in Medicine and Surgery and 36 in Physician Assistantship (clinical). Also graduating was the first cohort from the School of Pharmacy made up of 30 students.
Professor Aziato assured that the university would continue to produce highly trained professionals and academics to improve health care delivery in Ghana and beyond.
Despite such efforts by the university, she said infrastructure gap continued to affect students intake, staff recruitment, and teaching and learning. To this end, she reminded the government of its commitment to provide adequate infrastructure for the school.
To the graduates, she urged them not to rest on their oars but aspire to specialise and constantly upgrade their knowledge, skills and capacity to remain global assets.
“Endeavour to advance yourselves in your desired areas as you are well equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to excel in future,” she advised.
Justice Victor Jones Mawulom Dotse, Chairman of the University’s Council, extolled the work of the university’s management to ensure the mission and vision as envisaged for UHAS was firmly followed, especially in the area of health research and community service.
He, therefore, urged government to make the needed budgetary allocations to the school to undertake more of its ground breaking research works.
Togbe Afede XIV, the Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State, who graced the occasion, urged the graduating students to be “critical thinkers” and contribute positively to the growth of the health sector of the country.
He said they could do this by learning to liberate their minds with the knowledge acquired in school and always working with a plan and “never sleep as if you were competing with the dead and expect it to make it in life.”
Togbe Afede, who is also a business magnate, said UHAS has brought a lot of pride to the Asogli State, Volta and Ghana. He donated an amount GHS50,000.00 to support the university’s endowment fund for scholarly works.
Stephen Say from the School of Allied Health Sciences was pronounced the overall Outstanding Graduating Student.
FROM Fred Duodu, Ho (kduodu@yahoo.com)