Graduates of the College of Health Sciences have been implored to stay in the country to offer services to the taxpayer, whose sweat and toil have assured what they are now. Mr. Sam Okudzeto, Chairman of the College Council made the call at the 6th congregation and swearing of students of the College of Health Sciences at the nation's premier university. Mr. Okudzeto, expressed dissatisfaction over the situation where graduates who are employed into the various ministries earn more than their teachers. "This is in spite of the fact that their teachers are either medically qualified or health professionals in their own right and with much higher qualification and experience," he said. He went on to state that the situation has not only lowered the morale of these teachers but also made it difficult to attract staff to work in the college. "In fact, most of the health professionals offered appointments in the last year or so have declined to take up the appointments as a result of the wide disparity in the salary structure," Mr. Okudzeto warned, stressing that if government fails to bring all on board, the health workers, regardless of where they are would leave. He further urged the graduates on the challenge to develop and build upon the gains of the last 50 years to the highest possible standard so that in the next 50 years, the youth of today would have something to be proud of and look back on with appreciation for the effort made today. He noted that though plans are far advanced to add two new schools namely: School of Pharmacy and Veterinary Medicine to the six existing constituents of the college, the much talked-about Biomedical Institute still remains as discussions to have it off the ground have reached an advanced stage. He stated further that while work is being done on these projects, the main objective of training health professionals to the highest world standards, recent development threatening to derail these efforts is the issue of enhanced salaries of health workers, which does not affect the staff of the college. He said if immediate steps are not taken to solve the problem, the college risks losing the few health professionals it has on the ground. "We need to appreciate that it is the very core of our health delivery system that is being threatened, for without the health workers within the College system” we cannot continue to “train quality professionals for the nation," he noted. Credit: Chronicle