Professor Angela L. Ofori-Atta, Head, Department of Psychiatry, University of Ghana Medical School and Dentistry, has exhorted graduands of the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) to uphold good norms and values because they matter in life.
She asked them to take the norms and values “which act as our compass, which act as sign posts along the way, which lead us back home when we are in a storm or at the cross roads seriously”.
Professor Ofori-Atta gave the exhortation at the fourth congregation of the University in Ho.
She also urged them to watch carefully the kind of role models they choose because such could make them successful and responsible citizens or harm and unmake them.
“If you go for the wrong icon, you might be derailed early, like a lovely moth to a flame, which singes its wings”, Professor Ofori-Atta said.
She said a study by the graduating class of the Colombia University in 2018 showed that the most prevalent emotions expressed by graduands were anxiety and uncertainties of what lay ahead in the future.
Prof. Ofori-Atta said those were real worries and that the world would always have troubles while the graduands to prepare for the years ahead, acknowledging that 20s and 30s were difficult periods for adulthood.
She challenged them to face up to the strongholds that threatened their self-confidence and resilience with a ‘can do’ spirit and go for the ultimate.
Prof. John Owusu Gyapong, of the University, said the University was gradually attracting specialists and consultants following the conversion of the Volta Regional Hospital into a Teaching Hospital.
He said consequently, the University had constructed six consulting rooms to facilitate teaching and learning, an indication that it was achieving its vision of being a pre-eminent research educational institution dedicated to community service.
Professor Gyapong said the 2018/2019 academic year was very fruitful with modest strides in academics despite some logistical constrains and appealed to government to fix roads leading to the University’s main campus and also complete ongoing Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) projects.
Archibald Yao Letsa, Volta Regional Minister, commended the University for the and said UHAS was destined to take lead in training best health professionals.
He said since its establishment, the University had been projecting the region and stated the readiness of the Regional Coordinating Council to support it.
Letsa said was not unaware of challenges facing the university, especially its road networks and reiterated government’s commitment to fix them.
He said the conversion of the Volta Regional Hospital was an indication of government’s support for the University and called for the support of all.
The Regional Minister asked the graduands to be ambassadors of UHAS and let the world know what UHAS stood for.
Elvis N. Agbley of the School of Allied Health Sciences took the Vice Chancellor’s Prize for the Overall Best Graduating UHAS Student.
A total of 803 students graduated, including three foreigners-.GNA