VARSITY FOR HEALTH AND ALLIED SCIENCES SET TO TAKE OFF IN SEPT

Prof. Fred Bink

Come September this year, the proposed University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) in the Volta region would have its first intake of students. Prof. Fred Bimpeh, the 1st Vice-Chancellor of the university disclosed this at a well-attended stakeholder’s forum organised under the auspices of the Volta regional coordinating council in Ho on Monday.

He also noted that the university is about starting the process of certifying programmes to be offered with the National Accreditation Board and t as soon as that approval is given advertisements for applications for admissions would be put out in the media.   

According to him, the university, will have eight schools, including medicine, traditional and alternative medicine, health education, medical research and public health but will admit about 200 students into the schools of medicine, nursing & midwifery, allied health sciences in Ho and the school of public health in Hohoe for the start. 

He said the institution would essentially be a technical entity with community service and research as important components of every programme.   

Prof Binka said the University, with the main campus in Ho and another at Hohoe would eventually affect other parts of the region.   

He explained that apart from the Regional Hospital serving as its Teaching Hospital, students would be attached to other hospitals across the region for their practical training.   

Prof Binka said with time UHAS would absorb the Health training institutions in the region.   

Prof Kofi Anyidoho interim council chairman, who presented a graphical report of activities concerning the establishment of the University, including policy-blueprint, human resource searches and physical structure build-ups at the forum, said since its inception, the council has recruited the key officers of the university; this he said is an indication that the t university is ready for commencement.

On infrastructure, the council chairman noted that the new temporal structures such as lecture halls, science laboratories and students' hostels, in Ho are inadequate. He also expressed reservations about some of the buildings which he said had some structural defects but however expressed optimism that, the council’s request for additional infrastructure and other concerns would be addressed before September.

UHAS was one of two public universities promised by President John Evans Atta Mills, the other being, University for Energy and Natural Resources, for the Brong Ahafo Region.
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