Professor Ellis Owusu- Dabo, the Pro Vice-Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), has inaugurated a 13-Member Advisory Board for the College of Health Sciences (CHS) Endowment Fund.
A statement issued by the KNUST and made available to the Ghana News Agency said the 13 members comprising alumni and other eminent professionals in the health and other sectors would advise, raise funds, and oversee the operations of the CHS Endowment Fund among others as stated in their terms of reference.
Professor Owusu-Dabo administered the oath of office to the members of the CHS Endowment Fund Advisory Board and read to the members their terms of reference.
The CHS Endowment Fund Advisory Board has Mr Maxwell Opoku Agyemang, a former Director of the Ghana Law School and Dr. Anthony Nsiah Asare, the Special Advisor on Health, Office of the President, as Co- Chairmen.
The members of the Board include 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 Pharmaceutical Ltd.
Others are Dr Bernard Okoe-Boye, the 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 DapaahCEO and Founder of Family Link Money Transfer Inc.
Professor Owusu-Dabo expressed Management's gratitude to members for responding to the call of the University to serve on the Board.
He was confident that with the composition of the Board, they could exceed management's expectations and go beyond the College.
Prof Owusu-Dabo stated that there was no way the Fund would not thrive, considering their expertise and achievements.
He reminded them that the core mandate of the University was to teach, conduct research, and render service to the community.
Adding that in that light, all their actions should be guided by it, bearing in mind the vision of the University.
The Pro Vice-Chancellor emphasised the importance of the Board since the government's subvention alone is inadequate in running and developing the University.
On his part, Prof Christian Agyare, the Provost of the CHS, stated that since he assumed office, the College had continued to engage in efforts aimed at improving the finances of the College.
The CHS Endowment Fund is a response to a call by management for each College in the University to establish one.
The Endowment Fund is focused on creating opportunities to retain Health Sciences graduates in Ghana to ameliorate some of the developmental challenges confronting the health sector of Ghana.
Prof. Agyare said the CHS Endowment Fund seeks to promote the training of health professionals of high quality, to undertake health research, especially investigating local diseases, to provide scholarships for graduate and undergraduate training, and to procure essential equipment and tools for research related to graduate training for health professionals.
He also thanked the members of the CHS Endowment Fund Advisory Board for agreeing to serve on the Board to improve the fortunes of the College.
Mr Maxwell Opoku Agyemang, Co-chair of the Board, on behalf of members of the Board thanked the Management of the University for accepting them to serve the University.
He pledged that they would work to improve fundraising and management and projects in the college.