Dr. Bawumia congratulating Father Campbell
The second phase of the construction of a permanent campus of the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) will commence at the end of the month after it was postponed due to the outbreak of Covid-19.
The project is being funded by the Chinese Government at an estimated cost of some $60 million.
The event, which was observed in three batches to adhere with Covid-19 safety protocols, saw 786 students graduating including UHAS’ first cohort of 41 medical doctors.
The university also conferred an Honorary Doctorate on Rev. Father Andrew Campbell, Parish Priest of Christ the King Parish, Accra.
The award was in recognition of Father Campbell’s decades of humanitarian service and his dedication to health and development in Ghana, especially in the field of Leprosy control and management.
The university also intends to name a proposed Infectious Diseases Research Centre after him in recognition of his humanitarian work.
Speaking at the third session of the Fifth UHAS Congregation at Sokode, near Ho, the Vice-President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, announced that following the sterling management of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Chinese were ready to come in and begin the project before the end of November, 2020.
Dr. Bawumia said that the GH¢6 million Government of Ghana (GoG) counterpart funding would be released on time to ensure smooth completion of the project which was scheduled to last 24 months.
The project will cover a total floor area of 29,200 square metres, and will comprise a fully furnished central administration block, school of nursing and midwifery, duty and equipment rooms. Thus, three times the size of the phase one project completed a few years ago.
Vice-President Dr. Bawumia assured that the government through the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND) would construct and complete key facilities on both the Sokode-Ho and Hohoe Campuses of UHAS.
He commended UHAS for collaborating with the Ho Teaching Hospital to respond to the call to set-up a testing centre for Covid-19 and doing exceptional in that regard. The centre has so far done over 15,700 out of which about 850 have come out positive.
The Vice-President was elated that his good friend, Father Campbell, had been rewarded for his service to humanity and commended the university for the honour done the clergyman.
The Vice-Chancellor of UHAS, Professor John Owusu Gyapong, announced that UHAS was introducing new programmes in dentistry, sports and exercise medicine as well as physician assistant in Anaesthesia.
Undergraduate programmes of the six schools in UHAS include Allied Health Sciences (SAHS), Basic and Biomedical Sciences (SBBS), Medicine (SOM), Nursing and Midwifery (SoNAM), Pharmacy (SoP) and Public Health (SPH). Based on this, UHAS currently has 35 departments and offers 20 programmes.
Prof. Enyonam Yao Kwawukume, founder of Family Health University College, who was the guest speaker, urged graduates to accept postings to deprived areas and think outside the box at all times.
The Council Chairman of UHAS, Justice Jones M. Dotse, also urged graduates not to be complacent and be good examples wherever they found themselves.
From Fred Duodu, Ho