The government has almost completed modalities and processes for the establishments and take-off of the local Postgraduate Medical College in the country in a bid to meet the professional development of doctors and dentists.

Professor Paul K. Nyame, Chairman of the Medical and Dental Council who announced this, stressed, "as acting Rector of the college, I can confidently say that the establishment of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons is fully on course, and we expect to put out an advertisement within the next two months inviting residents into the residency programmes of the college".

Professor Nyame was speaking at the ninth oath swearing ceremony of 65 qualified medical doctors of the School of Medical Sciences (SMS) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi on Saturday.

This brings to 700, the total number of doctors trained and nurtured at the SMS since its establishment in 1975.

Seven of the doctors who distinguished themselves in the various disciplines of their medical programmes were honoured with awards, with Dr Irene Jemilatu Mahama, picking five of the prizes, including the best overall student in MB. CHB. Final two.

Professor Nyame said the programmes to be pursued at the college would embrace the major specialists in medicine, surgery and dentistry.

In an address read on his behalf, Dr Kwaku Afriyie, Minister of Health, said as part of the incentive package to motivate health personnel to give of their best, a vehicle revolving fund was being instituted by the government to ease the transportation difficulties confronting the personnel.

Furthermore, he said, vigorous negotiations were also on-going with the government to enhance the salaries of health workers.

Earlier in his welcoming address, Professor Kwesi Andam, Vice Chancellor of KNUST, said to give a further boost to the effective training of medical personnel, the SMS and the Faculty of Pharmacy are soon to be structured into one college to be called the College of Health Sciences.

The Vice Chancellor said medical training at the College of Health Sciences when operational, will include all allied health sciences as well as herbal medicine and sports science.

Professor E. Tsiri Agbenyega, Dean of the SMS, also announced that the Bsc. nursing programme will commence by September this year, but stressed the need for expansion of facilities and recruitment of more lecturers to cope with the increasing in-take of students to the medical school.