The management of the College of Health and Well-Being at Kintampo in the Brong Ahafo Region has called on the government to expedite action on the proposed elevation of the college to a university status.

The Director of the College, Dr. Emmanuel Teye Adjase, said management of the institution has already put in place the necessary steps to restructure and resource new faculties and departments in line with government’s pledge to turn the institution into a health university.

It will be recalled that President John Dramani Mahama, in his first State of the Nation Address in February this year, announced government’s intention to upgrade the College into a University to scale up the training of health workers.

Speaking to DAILY GUIDE, Dr. Adjase noted that efforts were being made by the College to work through the Sector Ministry to update the Presidency on developments and to request for additional resources to make the dream a reality.

He indicated that the College, in line with its aspirations to expand, had acquired an additional 3,000 acres of land needed for accelerated expansion of infrastructure to accommodate the ever increasing number of needed programmes of study that would facilitate the training of health professionals, not only for Ghana, but for the ECOWAS sub-region and beyond.

“As a notable public institution and driven by our vision of becoming a health university that responds to the health needs of communities, quality assurance, staff and student services, ICT and governance issues are central to our undertakings.

“This will continue to be the bedrock of our development into the future grounded on innovation and creativity that enhances quality through quality education and training of health professionals who will contribute their quota to the ever changing global health needs,” he said.

Touching on the past, present and the future of the institution, Dr Adjase said the college which used to be called the Kintampo Rural Health Training School started from a humble beginning as a Ministry of Health training institution.

He said the school was fully established in 1969 with a mandate to train middle level health professionals to provide quality and comprehensive health care to the populace, especially those living in the rural and under-served areas.

The establishment of the school, the Director noted, stemmed from the felt need for front line health personnel to augment the physician workforce that was grossly inadequate and which was also affected by mal-distribution in the country.

“The School now known as ‘The College of Health and Well-Being’ has in recent years improved and expanded in programme content, scope and student numbers. It has developed into a modern college located in a serene environment conducive for training and nurturing health professionals,” he stated, adding: “The health college being the only institution of its kind in the country and Sub-Region, continue to attract highly qualified applicants into various programmes of study each year.”

Dr Adjase explained that the programmes/courses of study at the college reflect current practices and policies in the health sector and are designed and developed based on disease burden and the health needs of the population.

“The programmes, some of which are at diploma and degree levels provide academic career progression pathways for mid-level health professionals in community medicine and preventive health,” he pointed out.

With a current student population of about 1,800 and 150 academic & clinical staff (both full and part time), Dr Adjase indicated that the college is poised to becoming a university college affiliated to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology for guidance and nurturing into a world class University of Health.