University Health Services Collaborates with School of Medical Sciences

The Directorate of University Health Services (DUHS) and the School of Medical Sciences (SMS) have agreed to collaborate to improve health care delivery in the University. Under the agreement, House Officers from SMS will undertake housemanship at the University Hospital. Also clinical students from the SMS will use the facility for their training. Again, specialists and Medical consultants from SMS will render medical services to the University Hospital to improve healthcare delivery and expand the services of the Hospital. This came to light when a delegation from the Directorate of University Health Services (DUHS) and SMS met with the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Joseph Ghartey Ampiah, to inform him of the collaboration between the two parties. The delegation from the SMS included the Provost of the College of Health and Allied Sciences (CoHAS), Prof. Harold Amonoo-Kuofi and the Dean of SMS, Prof. Francis Ofei, while the DUHS delegation comprised the Director, Dr. Evans Ekanem and the Administrator, Mr. Samuel Atta-Yeboah. Briefing the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ofei said since the assumption of the current Director of DUHS, the two sides have been discussing means of improving healthcare delivery in the University. However, he added that provisions in both the 2012 and 2016 revised Statutes did not permit them to collaborate, adding that “no member of SMS is serving as a member on the University Hospital Committee and vice-versa.” The Director of the DUHS, Dr. Evans Ekanem, said his outfit would do its best to ensure the sustainability of the collaboration. He noted that authorities at the University Hospital had embarked on sensitisation exercise to disabuse the minds of staff of the Hospital that the collaboration between SMS and DUHS would pave way for SMS to usurp their functions. He said the Hospital would now serve as a training facility for medical students and also help the Hospital to meet the requirements for accreditation by both the Ghana Medical and Dental Council, and the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons. Responding, the Vice-Chancellor commended both SMS and DUHS for initiating the collaboration which would improve healthcare delivery in the University. He urged them to ensure that the issue of remuneration of medical consultants and specialists were ironed out before the implementation of the collaboration. He called on the delegation from CoHAS to brainstorm on how to generate funds to procure equipment for the building at the Diagnostic Centre. Prof. Ampiah asked them to consider Public Private Partnership (PPP) both from within and outside and added that some units in the University could even avail themselves to partner the College to complete the facility.