...takes off next January

Cape Coast, Oct. 20, GNA - The proposed School of Medical Sciences at University of Cape Coast (UCC) would take off in January 2008, following the approval of a three-year interim accreditation from the National Accreditation Board (NAB).

The "essential physical facilities" have been established for the School, which would begin with 46 selected students as the first batch of trainees.

They would be pursuing the Basic Sciences component of the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery programme. Reverend Professor Emmanuel Adow Obeng, Vice-Chancellor of the University, announced this at the 'second session' of its 38th annual congregation at Cape Coast on Saturday.

A total of 6,235 students graduated, with Mr Ernest Jackson-Kuofie, a computer science student, emerging the overall best student and Ms Mavis Owusu-Mensah a visually impaired, the best blind student.

Rev. Prof Obeng, said by embarking on the project, UCC was signalling its intention to contribute in a pragmatic way, to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). He explained that the medical school was being established to provide medical education of the highest standards by adopting and using an innovative medical curriculum that was internationally acceptable, and had the flexibility of incorporating medical problems prevalent in Ghana and Africa.

"Our objective is to provide medical training that is relevant to the needs of the people of Ghana. We would produce high calibre medical practitioners who would have a broad-based education, be people-centred, community-oriented and research conscious," he pledged.

Rev. Prof Obeng, said the central theme of the school's curriculum would be community-based experience and service and the students would interact closely with communities in the Central and Western Regions to understand their social and living conditions to fully appreciate their health care needs.

He said a Clinical Skills Laboratory that had been included in the

facilities for the school, with the assistance of the management of

Maersk Ghana Limited, was the first of its kind in the sub-region and

at the cutting edge of medical education technology. The Vice-Chancellor expressed appreciation to President John

Agyekum Kufuor, some individuals and financial institutions for their

influential roles and financial assistance in facilitating the

establishment of the school. "It has been 'a tortuous journey during the course of which the

integrity of this university had been called into question by some

media publications," he added. He said an International Sting Less Bee Centre, known as the

Sting Less Bee Sanctuary, had been established by the Faculty of

Science within a secondary forest adjoining Kakum National Park, to

propagate sting less bee-keeping through research and training. Rev. Prof Obeng, said sting less bee honey, was in high demand

for its medicinal and antibiotic properties, and the centre which had

a wide range of sting less bee species that occurred in Ghana,

already had collaborations with several international institutions and

had successfully trained farmers within the area. He said about 180 local and 10 foreign beekeepers were

scheduled for training in December this year and was optimistic this

would help increase the production of honey and expand the

economic base of trainees. President John Agyekum Kufuor, in an address read on his behalf

by Ms Elizabeth Ohene, Minister of State at the Ministry of Education,

Science and Sports, reiterated government's support for the

establishment of the school, and urged the university authorities to

endeavour to draw from the experience of existing established

medical schools and not "to be guided solely by enthusiasm". Sir Sam Jonah, Chancellor of UCC, commended government for

its support and called on other stakeholders for assistance.