UDS STAFF FOR STUDY TOUR OF NETHERLANDS (PAGE 26, JUNE 26)

AS part of measures to ensure the smooth running of the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) methodology adopted at the School of Medical and Health Sciences (SMHS) of the University for Development Studies (UDS) in Tamale, some staff members have embarked on a two-week course at the Maastricht University in the Netherlands to build their capacity on the programme.
Also benefiting from the course are Dr Ken Sagoe, Chief Executive Officer of the Tamale Teaching Hospital and Dr Prosper Akanbong a medical doctor.
Other members of the team are the head of the Surgical Medical Sciences of the school, Professor Kwabena-Kyei Aboagye and the Registrar of the Medical and Dental Council, Dr Eli Atukpui.
The Co-ordinator of the PBL Programme, Mr Anthony Amalba, stated that the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Ghana had been facilitating the training of staff since 2005.
He said the programme was aimed at building the capacity of the school to get a deeper understanding in the PBL methodology in Health Professions Education.
Already, a number of workshops and courses on the PBL have been held for staff members in Ghana, South Africa and Mozambique among other countries.
According to Mr Amalba, the rational for the selection of the eight-member team for the current course also conformed to the vision and mission of the school.
The co-ordinator further stated that the school adopted the initiative including the Community Oriented Based and Extension Services (CODES) methodology to train healthcare professionals in line with the mandate of the UDS as contained in the law establishing it.
He said even though the SMHS was established in 1996, several attempts at introducing the PBL were not successful as a result of the lack of knowledge and expertise about the concept.
The programme eventually began in the school in September, 2007 and according to the co-ordinator, “the clinical phase of the medical training for the traditional students has started at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH).”
Mr Amalba added that “consultants have started an orientation on the possibilities for setting up clinical training for the PBL students under the supervision of SMHS in some selected hospitals in the Northern, Brong Ahafo, Upper East and Upper West regions while using the TTH as the central backbone for clinical training of students.”
The co-ordinator further said the UDS/SMHS was equipped with the learning resources needed to implement, run and sustain the PBL/CODES curricula.
He said efforts were ongoing to equip and upgrade various facilities to ensure the effective running of the programme at the school.