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KNUST College of Health Sciences to launch $10million Endowment Fund on October 30
The College of Health Sciences (CHS) at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) is set to launch a $10 million Endowment Fund on October 30, 2024, with the aim of raising the targeted amount over the next five years. The initiative seeks to improve infrastructure, boost research, and increase enrollment at the institution.
The Endowment Fund will support the training of high-quality health professionals, conduct critical health research, particularly focusing on local diseases, and provide scholarships for both graduate and undergraduate students. Additionally, it will aid in acquiring essential equipment and creating opportunities to retain health science graduates, addressing the challenges facing the country’s healthcare sector.
Speaking at a media engagement on Wednesday, September 11, 2024, in Accra, Professor Daniel Ansong, Chairman of the Endowment Fund Board, representing Prof. Christian Agyare, Provost of the College, highlighted the growing number of qualified applicants each year, with only a fraction being admitted due to limited infrastructure.
He noted that many prospective students either accepted offers from other institutions or left the country after failing to secure their preferred programmes.
KNUST College of Health Sciences to launch $10million Endowment Fund on October 30;
Regulatory bodies like the Medical and Dental Council, Pharmacy Council, and Allied Health Councils impose quotas based on available infrastructure, which is why the College admits the lowest percentage of qualified applicants compared to other KNUST colleges.
He pointed out that with the opening of the Boadi Medical Village, student intake nearly doubled from 2,907 in 2019 to 4,338 in 2020, indicating how adding facilities may improve enrollment. However, the Dean stated that poor laboratory facilities, particularly in basic sciences, continue to impede the College’s ability to train additional students.
Prof. Ansong warned that if these infrastructure gaps are not addressed, healthcare education may become limited to the wealthy, leaving many qualified but disadvantaged students behind. This, he claimed, would have long-term detrimental consequences for the country’s ability to offer adequate healthcare.
“We are calling on all stakeholders—corporate Ghana, alumni, and parents—to support the Endowment Fund to ensure we can train more healthcare professionals,” he told me.
KNUST College of Health Sciences to launch $10million Endowment Fund on October 30;
The CHS is comprised of seven schools and faculties, including the School of Medical Sciences, the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and the School of Nursing and Midwifery. It also has major research facilities, including as the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine.
Maxwell Opoku Agyemang, co-chair of the Advisory Board, reassured stakeholders that the Fund will be managed with complete accountability and transparency, and requested the media to help increase awareness about the project.
Other members of the 13-member Advisory Board include co-Chairman Dr. Anthony Nsiah Asare, the Special Advisor on Health, Office of the President; Dr. Jemima Dennis-Antwi, the Founding President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Centre for Health Development and Research; Dr Paul Sekyere Nyantakyi, CEO of MDS-Lancet; Ernest Bediako Sampong, CEO of Ernest Chemist Ltd; Dr Samuel Amo Tobbin, CEO of Entrance Pharmaceuticals; and Mr. Kofi Nsiah-Poku, CEO of Kinapharma Pharma.
KNUST College of Health Sciences to launch $10million Endowment Fund on October 30;
The others are Dr. Bernard Okoe-Boye, CEO of the National Health Insurance Authority; Dr. Opoku Ware Ampomah, CEO of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital; Dr. Kwame Ofosu Bamfo, CEO of Alisa Hotel; and Dr. Barima Kwabena Owusu Dapaah, CEO and Founder of Family Link Money Transfer Inc.
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Source: Graphic News
