The College of Health & Well-Being-Kintampo (CoHK) is considering the establishment of satellite campuses in Accra, Tema and Kumasi to spread it centres of learning and in the process increase its student in-take nationwide, Dr Emmanuel Teye Adjase, the Rector has said.

He said the College was inundated with a huge number of applicants, saying more than 9,000 prospective students applied for the 2013/2014 academic year, but it could only admit about 10 per cent due to inadequate facilities.

Dr Adjase was speaking recently at a matriculation ceremony of the College at Kintampo in the Brong-Ahafo Region, where 905 students, comprising 493 males and 412 females, were admitted to pursue various courses of study.

“The College is unique because it is the only health institution that trains middle level health personnel to feed the health sector in the country”, the Rector said.

He added, “Its importance is very strategic for the country’s health service delivery, but inadequate facilities in terms of lecture halls and residential accommodation for staff and students is hampering its ability to employ higher number of personnel and admit more students”.

Dr Adjase said 80 percent of the students were non-residential, saying that the College needed more residential accommodation for staff and students, as well as faculty buildings and a big modern state-of-the-art auditorium, among other things.

He said the prevailing situation underscored the need for the creation of satellite campuses, and through that the College would have fulfilled its core mandate of meeting the country's health needs.

"Effectively, the institution would be serving the deprived, unserved and under-served rural communities in the country with the ever-needed middle level health personnel”, Dr Adjase stated.

He therefore appealed to government to adequately resource the College to set up the necessary infrastructure to perform better than it was doing in the interest of Ghanaians.

He indicated that as part of restructuring and transforming the institution for elevation to a University status as stated by President John Dramani Mahama in his 2013 state of the nation address, the College had acquired 3,000 acres of land but was unable to develop it because of lack of funds.

Dr Adjase emphasised the college was well-positioned based on relevant and well-thought-out courses and related programmes, hence the upgrading to a University would immensely be beneficial, not only to Ghanaians but the entire African continent.

Mr Michael Justice Baffoe, Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Kintampo North, admonished both the fresh and continuing students to develop themselves to be more marketable in the future and also contribute their quota to national development.

The MCE reminded the students that value addition required them to be receptive to new and useful ideas which would develop their intellectual and analytical capabilities to be able to meet post graduation challenges in life.

Mr Baffoe therefore entreated the students to channel their energies to purposeful learning experiences which would benefit them as individuals and society at large.

“Religiously pursue excellent virtues and flee from social vices that will dissuade you from your vision and mission for which you came to the College,” he emphasised.