The
Vice-Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and
Technology (), Prof. William Otoo-Ellis, has cautioned newly-sworn in
doctors to live by the tenets of their ‘Hippocratic Oath’ because any
action or inaction on their part could lead to permanent or irreversible
consequences.
Without necessarily referring to the
just-ended strike action by doctors for codified conditions of service,
Prof Otoo-Ellis asked the newly-inducted doctors to appreciate the
importance of the Oath and, thus value what society expects from them in
their professional practice.
The Vice-Chancellor gave the
caution at the 22nd KNUST School of Medical Sciences and the 4th Dental
School oath swearing and induction ceremony in Kumasi on Saturday.
One
hundred and sixty-eight medical doctors and 16 dentists were sworn-in
in the presence of the president of the Ghana Medical Association, Dr
Opoku Adusei.
The ceremony also marked the 40th anniversary
celebration of the Medical School which has trained a total of 2,280
doctors since its inception while the Dental School has produced 42
dentists in four years.
Prof. Otoo-Ellis urged the young doctors
‘to be guided by the common humanity’, and urged them to help prosecute
Ghana’s developmental agenda.
In-take and facilities
The
Vice-Chancellor bemoaned the increasing number of brilliant students who
would have loved to pursue the medical programme but are ‘bleeding in
their respective homes’ because of limited facilities.
He said
the capacity of KNUST to admit students in the health-related programmes
was limited and thus, called for collaboration with all sectors to help
the university complete the first phase of its Teaching Hospital
project.
Charles Djugbah (in navy blue suit), receiving one of
his eight awards from the president of the Ghana Medical Association, Dr
Adusei Poku. Looking on are the Chairman of the KNUST Council, Kwame
Saarah Mensah (left), and the Dean of the KNUST Medical School.
Pro
Otoo-Ellis said when completed the teaching hospital would complement
that of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and thereby increase the
in-take of medical students.
He said it was important for
individuals, the private sector and government to buy into this vision
rather than ‘sending our students to China and Cuba.’
The
Vice-Chancellor’s call was also premised on the fact that KNUST has over
the years served as a trailblazer in the field of science and
technology education in Ghana and Africa with a very high reputation
among the comity of higher education institutions across the globe.
Awards
A
24-year-old Charles Djugbah made history as the highest recipient of
awards in the 40-year establishment of the Medical School.
Djugbah
collected eight of the 15 awards including the Prof. Dr. Dr. Sir G.
Wireko-Brobby and the Dr. Kwame Addo Kufuor awards at the induction
ceremony.
The former student of St. Peters SHS made real his
childhood dream to become a medical doctor as his parents and indeed the
entire congregation gave him a standing ovation.
He told Daily
Graphic his dream is to distinguish himself in the profession with some
specialized training as he begins his two-year housemanship at the Komfo
Anokye Hospital.
In the Dental division, Collins Donyinah Baffoe
received four of the six awards while Addo Ofori picked two of the
three subject awards. |
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