Professor Yaw Asante Awuku, Head of Internal Medicine at UHAS, led a team of Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) practitioners to pay a courtesy visit to Vice Chancellor Professor Lydia Aziato on June 9. The team comprised POCUS trainers Dr. Elizabeth Joekes (Director and Consultant of UK-based NGO Worldwide Radiology), Catriona Farrell and Angela Booth, along with a group of trainees.
Point-of-care ultrasound refers to the practice of trained medical professionals using ultrasound to diagnose problems wherever a patient is being treated, whether in a modern hospital, an ambulance, or a remote village.
UHAS is currently the center for POCUS training in Ghana. This is the third group of trainees since the inception of the programme in 2021. This training of medical professionals in point-of-care ultrasound is a collaboration between University of Health and Allied Sciences, World Wide Radiology, and the University of Salford to train physicians on POCUS to improve clinical outcomes.
Prof. Aziato welcomed the team and gave them a brief history of UHAS and the dynamism of the University, and a summary of her professional path. She told the team that UHAS is committed to community development; hence, its students are spread across the breadth and length of the country for their Vocational Training.
She added that because UHAS is a solely health-based institution, professionals with in-depth experience and practice could apply to assist the faculty. Nonetheless, such applications would be subjected to rigorous review and evaluation by the university’s academic board.
Prof. Aziato challenged the trainees to aspire to be the best, and to engage in study, research and publications, as well as participate in mentorship and symposia to enable them to carve a niche for themselves.
Dr. Joekes thanked the Vice Chancellor for sharing her experience and knowledge with them.