The College of Health & Well-Being, Kintampo (CoHK) has admitted 1,037 fresh students into 12 programmes of study for the 2015/2016 academic year.

The College received 6,782 applications but 5,810 qualified for the selection interview and out of that number, the 1037 were admitted, Mr. Isaac Azindow, the acting Principal of the institution announced at a matriculation ceremony.

The occasion was on the theme “Infrastructural development, a challenge for health training institutions” and was held over the weekend at Kintampo, in the Brong-Ahafo Region.

Mr. Azindow, who is the first old student to head the institution since it was established in 1969, said this year’s admission had increased the total student population to 2,244, but only 26 per cent of that number is resident, whilst the remaining 74 per cent are non-residential.

The Acting Principal said the inadequate residential facilities had created a burden for the young students, especially the ladies, who were renting private accommodation, making them not only vulnerable but exposed to insecurity and various forms of exploitation.

He underscored the need for more hostel facilities, besides an auditorium, skills laboratories and transport facilities for field practical activities for the ever increasing student population.

Mr. Azindow appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to help complete the College’s abandoned student hostel facility started about 10 years ago and also the construction of a new hostel for the female students, adding that, “we are only able to meet just a quarter of the demand for hostel facilities.”

He said the institution was currently offering fourteen programmes, reflecting both clinical and public health courses, which are categorized into six departments of Community Medicine and Health, Oral Health, Community Health, Biomedical Science, Health Information and Community Mental Health.

On some successes achieved, Mr. Azindow mentioned among others that the College and the Ministry of Health were jointly supporting about four tutorial staff to pursue PhD studies, re-organisation of functional Academic Board with regular meetings and the completion of the acquisition of 3,000 acres of land from the Paagoe family of the Mo traditional area.

The refurbishment and transformation of the College’s library, offices and hostels had also been done, he added.

Touching on the institution’s future plans, Mr. Azindow said sandwiched post-basic programmes, except that of Post Basic Medical Assistant and Clinical Psychiatry programmes, would begin next academic year and would enable serving officers to study whilst still providing services, he explained.

Mr. Azindow advised the new students to abide by the statutes, rules and regulations of the institution to achieve success academically.

Mr. Emmanuel Kwadwo Agyekum, a Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, who is also the Member of Parliament for Nkoranza South, said government was making tremendous efforts to increase the infrastructural stock of the country’s health institutions through the provision of the needed equipment and logistics to enhance efficient health service delivery.

Mr. Agyekum assured to forward the challenges of the College to the appropriate offices for discussion to ensure the needed support to train the expected number of health professionals for the nation.