Kumasi, Sept 27, GNA- The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), School of Medical Sciences (SMS), has since 1982, trained 1,398 Medical Doctors to boost health care delivery in the country.

Professor Kwabena Danso, Dean of the School, who announced this, said the SMS could have trained more but for lack of facilities and appealed to corporate bodies, philanthropists and stakeholders in the health sector to support the University in expanding its structures. He was speaking at the 16th Oath Swearing and Induction ceremony of the School in Kumasi on Saturday at which, 98 qualified Doctors graduated, including 36 females.

Prof Danso said the School has embarked on staff recruitment and infrastructural rehabilitation drive, as well as the enhancement of Information Technology (IT) and audio-visual facilities to facilitate research, teaching and learning. It also intended to construct a new teaching laboratory complex, to include facilities for basic sciences, skills training, research and IT-in-medicine.

The Dean said with improved facilities, the school would be able to admit more students.

Dr George Sipah-Adja Yankey, Minister of Health, in an address read on his behalf, called on the doctors to accept postings to rural areas to enable them to render services to the poor and the underprivileged. He said the medical profession was all about service to mankind and that Doctors should not perceive that their areas of operations were centred only in the urban areas.

The Health Minister charged doctors to shun industrial action and use proper channels to address their grievances at all levels. He reminded health workers that patients were becoming more aware of their rights and therefore urged them to deal responsibly with them in the discharge of their duties.

Administering the Hippocratic Oath on the Doctors, Dr Kofi Osae Adade, Chairman of the Medical and Dental Council, called on them to uphold the tenets and principles of the medical profession. He said the Council would not hesitate to withdraw the license of those who flout the code of ethics of the profession. 27 Sept. 09