UTAS to establish first medical school in Upper East Region – Vice-Chancellor
Professor Luguterah made the disclosure at the 6th Congregation Ceremony of the University held on Saturday, December 20, describing the development as a historic milestone made possible through extensive stakeholder engagement.
The University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Navrongo (UTAS), is set to establish the first medical school in the Upper East Region, Vice-Chancellor Professor Albert Luguterah has announced.
Professor Luguterah made the disclosure at the 6th Congregation Ceremony of the University held on Saturday, December 20, describing the development as a historic milestone made possible through extensive stakeholder engagement.
“It gives me great joy to announce this most welcome development. Building on the Memorandum of Understanding signed earlier this year between UTAS, the Ghana Health Service and the College of Physicians and Surgeons, our consultants and their dedicated teams, with the strong support of key stakeholders including the Regional Minister and Members of Parliament, have made remarkable progress. We now stand at the threshold of a historic moment, the establishment of a medical school in the Upper East Region,” he said.
According to the Vice-Chancellor, the vision for the medical school goes beyond academic training and is anchored on long-term transformation. He explained that the initiative is a strategic intervention aimed at strengthening healthcare delivery, training local medical professionals, reducing regional inequalities and stimulating socio-economic development across northern Ghana and the country at large.
Professor Luguterah appealed to government, Parliament, development partners and the private sector to provide the needed support to ensure the speedy realization of the project.
“For this vision to become a reality, we need more support. We appeal to government, our Parliamentarians, development partners and the private sector to join hands with us to ensure its swift implementation. Every day of delay is another day our communities remain underserved. Every step we take together brings us closer to a healthier, fairer and stronger Ghana,” he stressed.
The Special Guest of Honour and Deputy Minister of Education, Dr. Clement Apaak, used the occasion to explain Parliament’s recent decision to reverse the renaming of UTAS and other public universities.
“Just yesterday, Parliament reversed the renaming of the University of Technology and Applied Sciences, along with other universities across the country. This decision followed extensive consultations with the academic community, traditional authorities, alumni associations, students and civil society organizations,” Dr. Apaak said.
He noted that the move was aimed at reaffirming academic freedom and constitutional identity, particularly in cases where institutions had been renamed after partisan political figures.
“This decision is not about erasing history, but about depoliticising our academic institutions,” he added.
Dr. Apaak further reaffirmed his commitment, both as a Member of Parliament in the region and as someone who actively participated in the processes leading to the passage of the Act establishing UTAS, to work towards unity within the University to promote effective teaching and learning.
A total of 710 students graduated at the ceremony, made up of 177 postgraduate and 533 undergraduate students across various disciplines.
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