Health professionals graduate from College of Health Sciences, Daily Graphic

A total of 1,064  health professionals passed out  from the College of Health Sciences of the University of Ghana on Saturday, with a call on them to place the lives and well-being of their patients ahead of their personal interests.
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Ernest Aryeetey, who made the call, also urged the graduates to render quality and selfless service to the nation.
The new professionals included 176 medical doctors and 20 dental surgeons who swore the Physician’s (Hippocratic) Oath.
Others were nurses, medical laboratory scientists, paediatric nurses, physiotherapists, radiographers, dieticians, pharmacists, epidemiologists, among others, who received various certificates, including Master’s and PhDs.
Dr Tinuade Olukemi Okoro, who emerged the overall best student in the medical school, also received 16 other awards.
Some graduates also received prizes for their outstanding performance in their areas of specialisation.
Prof Aryeetey commended the staff and collaborators of the college for their efforts in producing health service professionals and urged them to work harder to help the nation achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
He said currently the college was in the process of  facilitating the 600-bed University of Ghana Teaching Hospital to be funded by the governments of Ghana and Israel.
He said the university was working to become a research university to create a more research-rich environment to boost teaching to enhance the human resource development mandate of the university.
The Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, Madam Sharon Bar-Li, urged the graduates to give their best in the service of the country and humanity and also maintain a high level of professionalism.
Madam Bar- Li, who was the guest speaker, encouraged the graduates to accept posting to the rural and other deprived areas in the country where their services would be needed.
“Accept posting to areas where your services are needed and where you can make the best impact by not only attending to the sick and vulnerable but also helping to educate the rural folk, especially on practices that  help prevent some diseases,” she said.
She commended the country for holding a peaceful 2012 general election and also making steady progress in national endeavours.
On the $178 million University of Ghana Teaching Hospital, Madam Bar-Li said the project, when completed, would be assisted by the Sheba Medical Centre, the largest health facility in Israel, to ensure that it measured up to global standards in medicine and health service.
For his part, a provost of the university, Professor Aaron L. Lawson,  called on the government to make provision for funds for the completion of the School of Allied Health Sciences and Dental Projects to increase access to the school.