President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed the government's commitment to completing the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) Multi-Purpose Laboratory Complex after inspecting the facility during his tour of the Volta Region.

The visit to the university's main campus at Sokode-Lokoe in Ho formed part of the President's inspection of strategic national infrastructure projects aimed at strengthening tertiary education, research and healthcare training.

Vice-Chancellor of UHAS, Professor Lydia Aziato, told the President that the laboratory complex, which began in 2014, is about 72 per cent complete and is expected to become one of the largest and most advanced health sciences laboratory facilities in Africa.

She said the complex will accommodate about 1,200 students and staff and house specialised laboratories in medical imaging, molecular biology, biochemistry, pharmacy, nutrition, prosthetics and anatomy, as well as an international-standard research laboratory.

Professor Aziato said the university has expanded from 154 students in 2012 to nearly 11,000 students, creating an urgent need for additional infrastructure.

She appealed for support to complete the laboratory complex and invest in more hostels, lecture halls and campus roads, noting that parts of the uncompleted facility are already being used for lectures due to inadequate teaching space.

The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, assured the university that its infrastructure needs had been noted.

He announced that additional hostel facilities and an auditorium would be considered under the 2027 GETFund allocation and disclosed plans to establish a second UHAS campus in the Keta-Anloga area, focusing on pharmacology and biomedical engineering.

After touring the project, President Mahama described the 12-year construction period as unacceptable, saying the prolonged delay had significantly increased project costs.

He, however, described the laboratory complex as a strategic investment that would position UHAS as a centre of excellence for health sciences education, research and innovation in the sub-region.

The President particularly praised the inclusion of a state-of-the-art research laboratory comparable to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, saying it would strengthen Ghana's capacity for pathogen research, vaccine development and scientific collaboration.

He pledged that the government would continue supporting the university through successive GETFund allocations to complete the laboratory complex and provide additional hostels, lecture theatres, a library and improved road infrastructure.

President Mahama expressed confidence that with the necessary investments, UHAS could become one of Africa's leading health sciences universities within the next four to five years.