Intravenous Infusions Limited (IIL), a Koforidua based pharmaceutical company has donated two decommissioned autoclaves valued at about GH?200,000.00 to the Kumasi Polytechnic.
The donation, according to the company’s officials, is to facilitate teaching, learning and research at the polytechnic.
An autoclave is a device used to sterilize objects, especially surgical equipment and medical supplies by subjecting them to high pressure steam at specified temperatures and for a specified period of time, depending on the size of the load and the contents.
They are widely used in pharmaceutical, microbiology, medicine, tattooing, veterinary science, mycology, dentistry, chiropody and prosthetics fabrication. They vary in size and function depending on the item to be sterilized.
Making the presentation, the Member of Parliament for Subin Constituency and chairman of the Board of Directors of the company, Mr. Isaac Osei, said the company had acquired modern autoclaves for its operations, thereby rendering the two machines surplus to requirements.
Mr. Osei said the presentation of the autoclaves to Kumasi Polytechnic underlines the importance the company attaches to partnership between industry and academia in ensuring that science students benefit from effective practical training.
As part of its social responsibility and corporate citizenship, the MP said, Intravenous Infusions Limited is further collaborating with the Polytechnic’s Chemical Engineering Department in its quest to deliver its proposed Bachelor of Technology in Chemical Engineering programme.
“We have undertaken to provide practical training opportunities to students who will be enrolling in the new B-Tech Chemical Engineering programme.
He said, over the years, students from K-Poly pursuing various programmes of study have benefitted from industrial attachment programmes at the company.
Mr. Osei said feedback received annually from the Polytechnic on the attachment programmes has been positive and a clear indication that the company is in a productive partnership.
He pledged to continue to open the doors of the company to staff and students of Kumasi Polytechnic at all times, in fulfilment of the demands of courses of studies in order to deepen the fruitful collaboration, to the benefit of the country.
“We trust that K-Poly will be able to connect the equipment to a steam source as soon as possible to enable students realise the full benefits of practical training in the relevant disciplines,” he said. “We will send engineers to assemble the
Professor N. N. N. Nsowah-Nuamah, the Rector of Kumasi Polytechnic, for his part said the Polytechnic will launch the Bachelor of Technology in Chemical Engineering in the first quarter of 2013.
For this reason, he said the donation could not have come at a better time and expressed gratitude to the company for the kind gesture.
Professor Nsowah-Nuamah said the donation further demonstrates the Polytechnic’s positive collaboration with industry and expressed satisfaction with IIL’s open door policy for K-Poly students.
K- POLY, according to the Rector, has a very strong faculty, particularly its pharmacy department. “Our objective now is to set up a pharmaceutical company and manufacture drugs,” he said.
Professor Nsowah-Nuamah said Kumasi Polytechnic has among its staff, experts in all fields of endeavour and urged the company not to hesitate to fall on the polytechnic whenever they needed help.