The upgraded Bioinstrumentation Laboratory at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi (KNUST) has been officially launched under the “Upskilling Biomedical Engineers for Ghana” project.
The laboratories at KNUST and University of Ghana have been equipped to reflect clinical settings and support hands-on training in medical equipment installation, maintenance, diagnostics and therapeutics.
The labs have been equipped with hospital-grade technologies including haematology analysers, X-ray systems, dialysis machines, infusion pumps, and advanced diagnostic tools.
The intervention is aimed at aligning training with industry needs and improving graduate employability.
The launch held in Accra brought together representatives from academia, industry and development institutions.
The project is a development partnership with B. Braun Group, Delft Imaging, Dräger, Sysmex Europe and Area9 Lyceum.
It is implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) under the develoPPP programme.
At KNUST, the retooled Bioinstrumentation Laboratory is housed within the Computer Engineering Department at the Casely Hayford Building.
Representing KNUST at the launch were the Head of the Computer Engineering Department, Prof. Eric Tutu Tchao, and Senior Lecturers Dr. Prince Odame, Dr. Isaac Acquah and Dr. Prince Ebenezer Adjei.
The Head of the Computer Engineering Department at KNUST, Prof. Eric Tutu Tchao, emphasised the importance of sustainability and long-term strategic partnership in ensuring the project’s success.
“If we believe as a university that this is good for us, we still have to continue to sustain it
“You’ve shown us how to fish. You’ve set up very nice labs and you are training students. It now needs to be sustained so we can demonstrate impact.”
Prof. Tutu Tchao stressed that sustaining the facility would be critical in attracting further institutional support and leadership backing.
He noted that “the computer engineering department strongly believes in strategic partnerships, adding that the collaboration would help develop both the university and its national partners in new and innovative ways”.
