The School of Anaesthesia and Critical Care at Greater Accra Regional Hospital is to begin training students in Master of Science (MSc) and Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in anaesthesia by 2021.

The move for the upgrade in its programmes was necessitated by the need to help students progress in their career, while ensuring that they are equipped with the requisite skills to meet the health needs of the public.

Dr Evans Atito- Narh, Acting Director of the School, speaking at the launch of the 10th-anniversary celebration of the school in Accra on Thursday, said there was an urgent need for the nation to invest more into critical care considering its importance to patients.

He was positive that upgrading the School’s training programmes would help produce more anaesthetists who would in turn become experts and train more students.

The 10th Anniversary was launched on the theme: ‘Ten Years of Anaesthesia Education, the Ridge Experience.

It would be celebrated with activities such as health screening at the Adabraka market, an anaesthesia update conference and an anniversary durbar.

Dr Atito-Narh said the school, which started operating with about 19 students in 2009, had successfully trained about 300 students who have been awarded with advanced diploma in and BSc in anaesthesia and presently working in various hospitals in almost all parts of the country.

He said the school needed a land to build a hostel to enable it accommodate more students saying “the school as of now have no hostels for students, we have students coming from all over the country who need accommodation but we are not able to help,”

Mr Lawson Odartey Wilson, a Deputy Director at the Ministry of Health who launched the celebrations, lauded the schools for contributing greatly to the provision of competent anaesthesia and critical care in Ghana.

“The Health Ministry appreciates your efforts as a school and we will continue to play meaningful roles to enhance the development of the school,” he said.

He reiterated that the Ministry would work harder to attain Universal Health Coverage through the provision of basic healthcare across the country.

Dr Emmanuel Srofenyo, Medical Director of the Greater Accra Regional Hospital commended the staff and students of the school for contributing to its success.

The School of Anaesthesia and Critical Care was established in 2009 with the aim of training nurses to become anaesthetists at a time when the hospital had serious shortages, which was affecting surgery at the hospital.