The Alumni Association of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, KNUST (Teknokrats) has organised a health outreach programme.
The programme which serves as a curtain-raiser for the association’s 8th Biennial Congress took place concurrently at two venues: the forecourt of Ayeduase palace and Kotei RC JSS.
In an interview, Dr. Antwi Bosiako, Coordinator for the Health Outreach programme and a member of the local organising committee of the congress explained that the programme was a prelude to the 8th Biennial Congress. As part of the congress, teknokrats from across the country from different professional backgrounds – Agriculture, Social Sciences, Pharmacy, Medicine, Law, Media and others – will come together. It was the time to showcase what they acquired from KNUST and also make the university visible within the neighbouring communities.
Dr. Bosiako added that the outreach programme was a way of showing their corporate social responsibility to the society in which the university was situated. He remarked that the programme was not going to be a nine-day wonder but an annual event to support the various communities around KNUST.
Festus Nyame, Alumni Officer KNUST, also added that the outreach programme was estimated to cost between GH¢40,000 to GH¢50,000 and it was their prayer that at the end of the programme, free medical care, health screening and health assistance would be delivered to about 3,000 – 4,000 people within the Kumasi Metropolis. He emphasised that this year’s congress aimed at bringing together former students of KNUST to establish linkage and rekindle the bond which exists among teknokrats. As part of the impending congress, the association had embarked on a nationwide tour to some key institutions such as Tema Oil Company (TOR), Tema Development Corporation (TDC), GRIDCO, Graphic Communication Group Ltd, Volta River Authority (VRA) and many others to create awareness and also socialise with teknokrats in those institutions.
Mr. Nyame used the platform to invite all and sundry to the 8th Biennial Congress which has the theme; “Transforming Ghana’s Stunted Development through Appropriate Application of Science and Technology: Teknokrat, Arise and Build”. Daniel Owiredu, Executive Vice-President, Golden Star Resources Ltd will give the keynote address under the chairmanship of His Royal Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene and Chancellor of KNUST.
Nana Opoku Agyemang Bawuah III, Ayeduasehene praised the university authorities for their initiative to organise the health outreach in his area. He explained that most of the people had several health problems and he was hopeful that the outreach would help solve some of the problems.
Nana Bawuah advised the people in his area as well as students lodging in hostels around Ayeduase to take sanitation issues seriously. He explained that the outreach programme was never going to achieve its intended purpose if the people continued to live in filth. It was therefore significant that the people kept their environments clean to primarily fight cholera and other health problems in the area.
Some key activities of the 8th Biennial Congress includes the Grand Akwaaba Night on the 16th, the official opening of the congress at the auditorium of the School of Business on the 17th, Sports, Health Screening, Special Dinner on the 18th and Thanksgiving Service at Calvary Charismatic Centre on Sunday, 19th October 2014.
