The C.K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences (CK-UTAS) in Navrongo in the Upper East Region is in the process of establishing Schools of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing and Midwifery to train more health personnel for the country.
The curriculum for the School of Medicine and Dentistry had been completed and a team of experts was reviewing it to be submitted for accreditation, the Vice Chancellor (VC), Professor Eric Magnus Wilmot, told Ghanaian Times last Thursday in Navrongo.
He added that the programme for the School of Nursing and Midwifery had been certified by the Nursing and Midwifery Council and a team was working to complete the preparatory works.
The VC further added that discussions were ongoing with Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Services, who would be the end users of the products, for their inputs, adding “if they give us the fiat, we will go for the accreditations.”
The CK-UTAS was formerly University for Development Studies, Navrongo Campus and was granted autonomous status last year by Act of Parliament (Act 1000).
The three Faculties of Mathematical Sciences, Applied Sciences and Earth and Environmental Sciences are being restructured with the gradually rolling out of 11 envisaged schools and centres.
When asked how the medical school can take off without a solid teaching hospital, as the Navrongo War Memorial Hospital is not up to standard,Prof. Wilmot, beaming with confidence said it was “doable.”
“That is what will pull the teaching hospital here much faster,” the V.C said.
He explained that the University of Cape Coast and the University for Development Studies started before they got full-fledged teaching hospitals.
“I was in Cape Coast University,we started the medical school before the Cape Coast Central Hospital was upgraded into a teaching hospital, when UDS started the medical school, they were sending students to Kumasi for practical,” he added.
He said the Upper East Regional Health Directorate was trying to “mop up the health facilities around” in readiness for the programme.
Besides, he said the University was in informal discussions with the Navrongo Health Research Centre for possible collaboration in that direction.
“If the teaching hospital is not available, there are things we have to do outside.
“We are already into informal discussions with Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, they are willing to support us in any way possible, including our engineering students once the programme comes on board,” the V.C said.
Although, the University is yet to receive the seed capital to accelerate its development, the VC said despite the challenges, the government was supportive to the university, in the midst of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has disrupted economies globally.
FROM SALIFU ABDUL-RAHAMAN, NAVRONGO
