The University for Development Studies (UDS) has
began a medical programme suited for varied socio-economic settings, Professor Kaku Sagary Noko, Acting Vice Chancellor said on Friday.
He said the Problem Based Learning (PBL) pedagogy was introduced in September 2006 after almost 10 years of planning, with the last two years being more intense with training and retraining of academic staff and tutorial fellows.
Prof. Noko said this when the UDS took its turn to be examined by the Public Account Committee (PAC).
He said Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) was leading a cluster of hospitals to offer clinical training to the current two batches of 35 and 64 students under the traditional medical training.
Prof. Noko expressed the need for the university to be adequately resourced to receive
the first batch of PBL clinical group later this year.
"In the past we have had to use our share of the GET Fund (Ghana Education Trust Fund) allocation for the medical school to support the
training of our students in Korle Bu and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital at a cost of 3,000 dollars and 3,500 dollars per student per year.
He expressed the hope that the TTH would be renovated quickly while the need for purpose-building teaching hospital at the Tamale Campus of UDS should be the ultimate.
Prof. Noko commended the Dutch government for the fund provided through the NUFFIC project- Netherlands Organisation for International Co-operation in Higher Education, which ends in May 2010.
He pleaded with the government to increase funding for the medical school programme and special allocation of funds for community engagement activities and the university campuses.
Mr Kwaku Agyeman Manu, Deputy Chairman of PAC said it was a financial strain for students to pay all their school fees at a go for four years before the start of the programme.
He said the issue would be referred to parliament to find a solution to it so that many
of the qualified prospective medical students could pursue their studies in the university.