KNUST VC calls for shift from diploma to BSc health training

The Vice-Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Professor Christian Agyare, has called for a move from diploma-level health training to Bachelor of Science (BSc) programmes in specialised areas.

He said the move is needed to prepare health professionals to meet the growing and changing healthcare needs in Ghana and beyond.

Professor Agyare made the call at the 13th Graduation Ceremony of the Affiliate Ministry of Health Training Institutions. More than 24,000 students from 76 Ministry of Health training colleges across the country were awarded diplomas at the ceremony.

According to him, advances in medical practice and the increasing demand for specialised healthcare mean Ghana needs to rethink how health professionals are trained.

“This presents an important opportunity and an urgent responsibility for us to rethink how we prepare our health workforce for the future,” he said.

Professor Agyare said KNUST is well positioned to support the Ministry of Health and the training institutions in developing and running BSc programmes in specialised fields.

“We must therefore move deliberately from diploma-level training towards BSc education in specialised fields,” he said.

He called for a clear framework and implementation plan to guide the transition, adding that it would help improve the skills of health workers and strengthen Ghana’s ability to respond to complex healthcare needs.

Professor Agyare also reaffirmed KNUST’s commitment to working with the Ministry of Health and the affiliate training institutions to improve health professional education and continuous professional development.

He said the Ministry of Health/KNUST Steering Committee was reconstituted in March 2026 to provide strategic leadership for the partnership. The committee is co-chaired by the Chief Director of the Ministry of Health, Mr Desmond Boateng, and the Dean of the KNUST School of Nursing and Midwifery, Professor Veronica Dzomeku.

KNUST will continue to support the affiliate institutions through staff development, quality assurance, curriculum development and academic collaboration.

“The Ministry cannot do it alone. KNUST cannot do it alone. The Training Institutions cannot do it alone. Our strength lies in working together, maintaining high standards, and putting the student and the patient at the centre of what we do,” Professor Agyare said.

He also urged the graduands to approach their careers with competence, integrity, compassion and a strong sense of responsibility.

“Where resources are limited, professionalism must not be limited; where circumstances are difficult, compassion must not be difficult; and where hope appears to be fading, you must become a source of hope,” he said.

Professor Agyare reminded the graduands that their certificates marked not only an academic achievement but also a commitment to continuous learning, professional competence, integrity, compassion and service to humanity.