UCC graduates fourth batch of medical doctors
The University of Cape Coast (UCC) at the weekend inducted the fourth batch of its medical doctors with a call on them to be diligent and go by the Hippocratic Oath of their profession
Speaking at the induction ceremony, the outgoing Vice Chancellor, Professor Domwini Dabire Kuupole urged the young doctors not to allow the affection for money influence their practice
A total of 56 students made up of 24 males and 32 females who successfully went through a six-year programme were awarded Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery
In total the UCCSMS has so far trained 184 doctors who are excelling in the various hospitals across the country.
Prof. Kuupole said doctors produced from UCCSMS have strong community-based orientation for patients’ care because of its Community Based-Experience and Service (COBES) module which allowed students to live in the communities to have firsthand experience of their health care needs.
He said UCCSMS was determined and committed to fulfill its vision of becoming a leading school of medicine and a centre of excellence in community – oriented medical education.
The school is desirous to get an additional teaching hospital to enable them train more doctors but it is challenged because Effia Nkwanta hospital which hasd been approved by the Ministry of Health for that purpose was yet to be converted into a teaching hospital, Prof. Kuupole noted.
He therefore called on all stakeholders to hasten their efforts to convert the facility into a teaching hospital for the UCCSMS to admit more medical students.
Also, the department of haematology is in the process of establishing bone marrow morphology laboratory at the School’s diagnosis centre to support teaching, research and service at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital.
He said UCCSMS have been organising several continuing professional development programmes for medical doctors and other health professionals to enable them acquaint themselves with the current knowledge, skills, competencies and best practices in health care delivery.
Prof. Kuupole commended the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) for allocating funds for the completion of some ongoing projects on campus.
They include an administration and classroom blocks, students study structure, library and laboratory complex but bemoaned the slow pace of work so far..
Professor Mohammed Salifu, Executive Secretary of the National Council for Tertiary Education appealed to UCC to revise its fee paying module to make it moderate such that students of poor families could also enroll.
He said the current situation suggested a gradual shift towards making medical education in the country a preserve for the rich, even though he lauded the module employed by UCCSMS in the training of its students and said it was unique and proficient.
He was confident that doctors churned from the school would make huge impact in the health care delivery of the country.
Prof Salifu noted that physical infrastructure alone could not provide quality health care, noting that service and customer care were key components and urged the young doctors to endeavor to give out their best wherever they found themselves.
He reiterated Government’s commitment to provide the necessary infrastructure to enable the medical schools produce quality doctors of competence and integrity to help improve the doctor to patient ratio in the country.
He said issues relating to service delivery were being addressed by the Government at various levels and called for the collaboration of all stakeholders to achieve the desired results.
Nana Sam Brew- Butler, Chairman of the university council called on the doctors to accept postings to serve in the rural poor communities and work harder to save lives.
He urged them to contribute their quota towards transforming the communities in which they would serve since their training exposed them to rural community life.
Some doctors who excelled were presented with prizes.
Dr Gideon Gawu-Mensah emerged the overall best student. He received a laptop computer with its accessories and GH¢1,000.00 as the Vice-Chancellor’s prize for the best student.
Source: GNA