BACKGROUND OF THE DEPARTMENT
The department of Anatomy was the foundational department of the Ghana Medical School at its establishment by a presidential fiat in October 1964, which later became the University of Ghana Medical School (UGMS) until. The first batch of 40 students studied Anatomy for 37 weeks under the headship of the Late Prof. J.K.M. Quartey. Currently, class size has increased and ranges between 170-200 students for undergraduate (Medical /Dental students) under the headship of Prof. Frederick. K. Addai. The department is presently part of the School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences of the College of Health Sciences since the coming into effect of the University of Ghana Collegiate system from 2014/2015 Academic year. The pre-clinical programme for Medicine/Dentistry is now run in Modules, hence Anatomy is no longer taught as a stand-alone programme, but component part of eight (8) modules.
CORE BUSINESS
The department engages in human anatomy education via didactic lectures, Tutorials, Cadaveric dissections, Histology practical sessions, and Embryology to Pre-Med students, and trainee Allied Health Professionals including Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, and Respiratory Therapists. Anatomy instructional services are also rendered to the School of Nursing (SON) and the Graduate Entry Medical Programme (GEMP) of the School of Medicine and Dentistry (SMD). Given that the department supports diverse programmes with variable basic education in Human Anatomy, the present staff strength of eight (8) (three of which are on post- retirement contract) is far short of the minimum twenty-two required to optimally discharge all core responsibilities to the students with different requirements for Anatomy instruction.
The department used to run an intercalated BSc (Hons) programme in Anatomy for interested students of the erstwhile UGMS who obtained distinction in Anatomy at their MBII level. The B.Sc. programme which was successfully completed by five (5) graduates, was discontinued when the UGMS introduced B.Sc. Med. Sci. degree for all students after their pre-clinical training. The department now runs postgraduate training at the M .Phil. level, and has a PhD programme undergoing institutional review for approval. A total of 35 M.Phil. trainees have been produced since 1999; 31 of them since 2005. Six M.Phil. Graduates have gone on to obtain PhD in Universities abroad; including Leicester and Edinburgh in UK, Cape Town in South Africa, Munich in Germany, Dalian in China, and Nairobi in Kenya. Ten (10) other M.Phil. Anatomy graduates are at different stages of their PhD training in Ghana (KNUST), Germany, and USA. Some have taken up Academic positions in sister Universities such as University of Cape Coast (UCC) and the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS).
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS
Over the years, the Department’s culture of Leadership succession plan has produced several high-profile administrators for the College and the University of Ghana at large. These include four past Deans of the erstwhile UGMS (now SMD), with the last three heading in succession of each other. Similarly, the 2 department prides itself in producing the foundation provost of the College of Health Sciences (CHS) in the person of Rev. Prof. A.S. Ayettey, followed by two other Provosts in succession by Prof. Clifford. N.B. Tagoe and then Prof. Aaron L. Lawson. Prof. Tagoe went further as to become the Pro-Vice Chancellor, and Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana. Dedication and commitment by all staff of the department has earned us the Best Basic Science Department award by the University of Ghana Medical Students Association (UGMSA) many times. Successive Heads of Department were voted best Lecturer by (UGMSA). Under the leadership of Prof. F.K. Addai, the department has been at the forefront of research into the health benefits of cocoa since 2004. Prof. Addai gave the first seminal Public Lecture on cocoa’s health benefits on Sept. 2004, and at the fifth Public Lecture commemorating the 50thanniversary of the erstwhile UGMS. Fourteen M.Phil projects so far have demonstrated benefits of natural cocoa in animal models of diseases including Type1 and Type2 diabetes Mellitus, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, malaria, alcohol toxicity, and promotion of wound healing. The department holds the distinction of being the first in the world to hypothesize and demonstrate antimalarial prophylactic benefit of regular consumption of natural cocoa powder.
SERVICES
The department’s expertise in the handling and preservation of human remains is put at the disposal of the public by offering Embalming and Mortuary Services, including ancillary motor Hearse services. These Income generating activities have been the main source of financial support for research and staff training. Gross Income for 2017 was GHC1, 025, 000.00. Plans are far advanced to re-start a cytogenetic service and a cell/Tissue culture laboratory which will go a long way to help boost research in the department. There are also on-going trials to prepare human bones for teaching from remains of cadavers dissected by students during practical gross anatomy sessions.