President Mahama on Saturday announced that plans were far advanced to upgrade the Central and Volta Regional Hospitals into Teaching Hospitals. He said whilst the Central Regional Hospital would offer the University of Cape Coast Medical School students the opportunity to perform their practical work, that of the Volta Regional Hospital would also provide practical support to students of the Ho University of Health and Allied Sciences. President Mahama announced this during the 46th graduation ceremony of the University of Cape Coast and the first oath swearing and induction ceremony of the University of Cape Coast school of Medical Sciences in Cape Coast (UCCSMS). The Medical School, which started official academic work in 2008, is turning out its first batch of 42 Medical students, who received Bachelor’s in Medicine and Surgery. The current student population of the school is 304, made up of 168 males and 136 females. President Mahama said the provision of such facilities would also help to improve the doctor-patients ratio in the country and would subsequently improve the country's chances of achieving all the Millennium Development Goals in the next couple of years. The President announced that apart from the health facilities, government would also increase educational facilities at various Senior High Schools in the country. President Mahama said each of the new community Senior High Schools that would be established would enroll at least 1,000 students as a way of improving access to secondary education. He reminded the medical graduates of their responsibility of serving their patients professionally and with humility anywhere they were posted to in the country. He added: "I advise you to be instruments of hope for your patients anywhere you find yourselves in the service." President Mahama said although government faced a number of development challenges in the beginning of the year, efforts were being made to solve all those challenges as the years rolled on. Professor Domwini Daabre Kuupole, Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast appealed to government to upgrade the Central Regional Hospital into a Teaching Hospital to enhance the practical studies of the students. He also called for additional funding to complete the library complex, laboratory complex and the academic block complex of the school to make the students comfortable in their studies. The Vice Chancellor said the school, apart from serving the Central Region, would also serve all the district and Western Regional Hospitals. Professor Harold Amonoo-Kuofie, Dean of the UCCSMS said the vision of the school is to make it a centre of excellence with worldwide acclaim. Consequently, the school incorporates best practices around the world; including the promotion of community services with emphasis on integrated approach to the study of human structure and functions.