The Foundation Dean of the School of Nursing and Midwifery (SONAM) of the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS), Dr Gameli Kwame Norgbe, has called for the introduction of customer care in healthcare and medical reception courses at the university.

He said those programmes should be taken by all students in the university irrespective of their courses, to enhance healthcare delivery to the public.

Dr Norgbe, who was speaking at the inauguration of the SONAM alumni chapter of UHAS on the main campus, said healthcare without a decent customer care component would serve little purpose.

The event, which was held at Sokode-Etoe, near Ho, last Thursday, was on the theme: “Strengthening alumni bond for growth, impact and excellence”.

Dr Norgbe said UHAS was unique with its status as the flagship university for training health professionals and that must reflect in the attitude of the products of the institution towards clients.

Private practice

He urged members of the alumni group to venture into private practice, which he said would help them succeed with good customer care as the cornerstone.

The foundation dean entreated UHAS to develop Masters and PhD programmes at SONAM to enable the school’s products to come back and develop their careers to greater heights.

Dr Norgbe urged members of the chapter to get together to build a vibrant professional community, saying, “The best way to predict your future is to create it.”

He said the alumni stood on the shoulders of giants who paved the way and that they must, in turn, pave the way for their success.

Dr Norgbe was later honoured with a citation which read in part: “Your dedication and strategic foresight laid the foundation for SONAM’s growth, shaping it into a centre of excellence.”

Biggest school

The Vice Chancellor of UHAS, Professor Lydia Aziato, said the SONAM, which took off 12 years ago with 50 students, now had 4,650 students.

That, she said, made SONAM the biggest school at UHAS.

She urged the alumni to institute a fund and scholarships to support struggling students in the school.

The SONAM alumni President, Obed Kwaku Amenyo, pledged the chapter’s vision to lift the flag of UHAS to astonishing heights across the globe.