UHAS Laboratory Complex project nears completion
An amount of about $5 million will be required to complete work on the largest multi-purpose medical laboratory in West Africa at the University of Health Allied Sciences (UHAS) main campus at Sokode-Lokoe in the Volta Region.
Already, about $2 million has been spent on the 18,000-square-metre UHAS Laboratory Complex project, which started in 2014 and is now 72 per cent complete.
The complex, when completed, will largely help in national efforts towards vaccine development and production in the country.
A spokesperson for the UHAS Vaccine Research Group, Dr Cornelius Dodoo, made this known last Thursday when the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Vaccine Institute,
Dr Sodzi Sodzi-Tettey, toured the project site to gain first-hand information on UHAS’ experiences in vaccine research and help to secure funding for the vaccine research laboratory complex.
Dr Sodzi-Tettey was accompanied by representatives of the European Union and the German Development Agency (GIZ).
Expertise
Dr Dodoo said UHAS had an assembly of expertise in diverse areas to support health research and development in any field, particularly vaccine discovery and development.
He mentioned the School of Basic and Biological Sciences, the School of Pharmacy, the School of Allied Health Sciences and Alternative Medicine and the Institute of Alternative Medicine as areas with those capabilities.
Dr Dodoo said the School of Public Health, the Institute of Health Research, the School of Medicine, the School of Pharmacy, the School of Nursing and the School of Nursing and Midwifery also had expertise in pre-clinical and clinical trials.
He said UHAS had the human resources for vaccine research in addition to the laboratory complex and clinical trials facility (Hohoe campus), where he said some trials conducted had been audited and passed by the Food and Drugs Authority.
Partnership
Dr Sodzi-Tettey said the visiting team was highly impressed by the level of preparations by UHAS in vaccine research.
He gave an assurance that the National Vaccine Institute would work vigorously in partnership with the EU, GTZ and other organisations to seek funding for the project without delay.
Dr Sodzi-Tettey described the visit as very successful, saying UHAS was at the top of efforts towards the preparations for vaccine development and production.
The Head of the Department of Architecture of UHAS, Franklin Akumia, said parts of the laboratory complex could be put to use before the full completion of the project.
The Vice-Chancellor of UHAS, Professor Lydia Aziato, reiterated UHAS’ firm dedication to producing high-quality health professionals and said the university was uniquely positioned to do so.
To stay on track for that objective, she said there was a need for serious capacity-building programmes for the staff.
With regard to the laboratory complex, Prof. Aziato said, “We need to hit the ground running as soon as possible.”
