Kumasi, Aug. 8, GNA - The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) is exploring the possibility of using district hospitals in Ashanti Region as training centres for its medical students. Professor William Otoo Ellis, the Vice Chancellor of the University, who announced this said the initiative dubbed: "Network of Teaching Sites Programme," was aim at easing the congestion of clinical teaching at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).
He said it would also help to strengthen the philosophy of community-oriented training and also to enhance service delivery at the participating hospitals.
Prof. Ellis was addressing the 18th Oath Swearing and Induction Ceremony of the School of Medical Sciences (SMS) of the University in Kumasi recently. He said currently there were some challenges such as inadequate space, congestion, inadequate lecture rooms and lack of office accommodation for lecturers regarding the use of KATH for clinical training. Prof. Ellis indicated that so far contacts had been made with some of the District hospitals and that KNUST had set up a Committee to ensure the realization of the objective.
The Vice-Chancellor said the KNUST Academic Board had approved a request by the SMS to adopt innovative mechanisms to allow for gradual increase in student numbers.
One of the mechanisms is to expand the infrastructure by constructing a Simulation Centre at the Clinical Students' Hostel at KATH to equip students with the requisite skills for effective clinical training. Professor Ellis noted that the project was at its completion stage and would soon be ready for student to use. He added that plans were far advanced for the construction of Basic Sciences Block for the School. The University had in addition stepped up efforts to construct a 750 bed ultra-modern Teaching Hospital to be located on the University campus. He appealed to the Government to endeavour to support the project by injecting funds for its early completion.
Professor Kwabena Danso, Dean of the SMS, announced that the School had reviewed its curricula for both the Human Biology and Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery programmes in line with its desire to enhance the quality of its graduates. A total of 92 graduands were sworn-in after six years of academic work bringing the total number of doctors so far trained by the SMS to 1,624.