KINTAMPO HEALTH SCHOOL DEVELOPS 5-YEAR PLAN (PAGE 11, DEC 3, 2010)

THE authorities at the Kintampo Rural Health Training School (KRHTS), in the Brong Ahafo Region have developed a five-year strategic plan for 2011 to 2016.
It has the objective of transforming the school into a world-class health university that will continue to respond to the health needs of communities.
The KRHTS aspires to become an international resource centre for training and operational research, by working towards developing and delivering Bachelor and Masters’ Degrees in appropriate subjects in affiliation with other institutions.
Furthermore, as the school, which was established about 41 years ago endeavours to achieve steady growth in student numbers, it is determined to develop partnerships with national health and research institutions, local and international universities and health authorities to encourage and support staff to gain higher qualifications up to the PhD level.
That would certainly enhance the quality of teaching and learning as well as service delivery and research, thereby attracting international students to participate in its training and other programmes.
Dr Emmanuel Teye Adjase, the Director of KRHTS disclosed this at the 2010 Matriculation of 672 freshers, made up of 411 males and 251 females.
He indicated that the first priority of the strategic plan was for the school to emerge as a full research degree awarding university, by working with other universities and the relevant ministries to fulfil the criteria for a University College status by 2011.
The students would pursue programmes in Medical Assistant Psychiatry, Post Basic Medical Assistant, Post Basic Community Oral Health Direct Medical Assistant, Field Technician, Disease Control, Human Information, Laboratory Technician, Registered Dental Surgery, Assistant Nutrition and Community Mental Health.
Again, the Director said, the authorities would work with other universities and the relevant ministries to fulfil the criteria for the full university status by 2016, developing a reputation for the training institution for excellence in learning, teaching and research.
Under the same first strategic priority, Dr Adjase pointed out that, the school would encourage the staff to develop the research environment of the training institution by hosting conferences, editing journals and publishing research findings.
The Director also mentioned the remaining five-year strategic priority areas as: Becoming an international resource centre for training and operational research, to become a well-resourced institution to contribute to the ever changing global health needs, increase the number and variety of students served and enhance their experience of higher education and finally, ensure an excellent human, financial, physical and intellectual infrastructure for the training institution.
Dr Adjase was joined by the Chairman of the Advisory Council of the KRHTS, Professor Tsiri Agbenyega, who is also the immediate past Dean of the School of Medical Sciences (SMS) at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), to launch the plan.
They also launched an Online Portal for the school, which was installed by Fleet Technologies Limited in Accra, Specialists in Online Services for educational institutions and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
Prof. Agbenyega commended the authorities of the school for turning out health professionals who were rendering dedicated services in all parts of the country, saying that, graduates from the school were the crop of health personnel who worked harder with the absence of medical officers who sought to seek greener pastures elsewhere after their training in Ghana.