The University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) held an inaugural lecture for Prof Yaw Asante, a Professor of Medicine and Gastroenterology who serves as Dean of the UHAS School of Medicine.

This programme, the eighth inaugural lecture in the history of the University, celebrated the milestone in Prof Asante's career, recognising his diverse contributions to clinical education and healthcare delivery.

Prof Asante joined UHAS in 2019 from the University of Cape Coast, serving in various roles and actively contributing to the training of health professionals.

He has authored approximately 90 publications with 3,385 citations, and is well known for advancing public knowledge on hepatitis and healthcare, serving as Vice President of the Hepatitis Society of Ghana.

During his lecture, themed “From Bedside to Academia: A Clinician-Scholar's Role in Advancing Medical Education and Gastroenterology Practice,” Prof Yaw Asante called for a paradigm shift in the training of medical doctors to better align with current trends and healthcare demands.

He emphasised that medical students should be introduced to critical thinking, simulation, and case-based learning, adding that medical training institutions must prepare graduates for team-based, technology-enabled, and compassionate care.

He advised that student assessments should go beyond what they study and focus on “how they apply knowledge and relate to patients.”

Prof Asante proposed establishing a project titled “Future Proofing Healthcare System in Ghana” to address the challenges of access and sustainability within the country’s health sector.

“I am proposing that we work on a project with a theme, ‘future-proofing the healthcare system in Ghana,’ to develop what is called a Ghana health sustainability index, using our own index, or priority areas,” he stated.

“I'm also asking that we create a dashboard, or this opportunity will create a dashboard, key health indices, and priorities for the 16 regions in the country. We can have a quarterly or yearly review of this, see where the gaps are, so we can actually address it,” he added.

Prof Asante also highlighted that UHAS, in partnership with Worldwide Radiology and other international partners, embarked on the Ghana Point of Care Ultrasound Partnership to improve access to essential diagnostic imaging and combat severe equipment shortages, training staff in low-middle income settings.

He noted that a Centre for Point of Care Ultrasound Training was established at UHAS in 2021 to facilitate the training and integration of Point of Care ultrasound in Ghana.

“Now, what I say is that in terms of teaching bedside examination, we should be talking about inspection, palpation, percussion, auscultation, and focus, point of call ultrasound and it makes a difference at the bedside."

"We have also empowered over 40 doctors to improve patient care in their daily practice. Additionally, six trainers have been trained as clinical advocates—first-generation point-of-care ultrasound leaders in Ghana—securing the programme’s sustainability in our environment,” he said.

Prof Asante Awuku urged that the advancement of health professional training should be rooted in integration, innovation, and inspiration.

“The way forward is integration, innovation, and inspiration. First, I believe that the future lies in integration. We need to integrate clinical wisdom with academic frameworks. We need to integrate local insight with global minds. We need to integrate science with impact."

"I also believe that it requires innovation. We need to use digital tools for teaching, including gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopes. We should co-create curricula with students, and we need to have a multidisciplinary team-based care modules in this era."

"And I also believe that this must be driven by inspiration. We need to inspire our students to be care-driven. We need to motivate policymakers to act boldly, and inspire ourselves to keep learning, questioning, and serving,” he explained.