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Momodou
Denmark
11833 Posts |
 Posted - 23 Jan 2007 : 13:43:58
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33 GRADUATE FROM MRC BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES COURSE
By Isatou Bittaye
The Medical Research Council-The Gambia on Wednesday 18th January 2007, held a graduation ceremony on diploma and certificate courses in Biomedical Sciences by distance learning with the University of West Minster in the United Kingdom. The ceremony was held for 33 graduands, 19 in the Diploma Course and 14 graduands in Certificate on biomedical sciences course. In her opening speech, Mrs. Christine Croombes, head of staff at the development and Training unit at MRC, said that MRC is determined to play its part in making and strengthening science capacity in Afirca and aims at increasing the number of skilled professional staff in the sphere of science. Mrs. Christine Croombes added that MRC has established a highly successful record of investing in the training of scientific researchers at Master and Doctoral levels. She indicated that MRC has developed a vision of learning pathway that would take promising school leavers in the Gambia and develop them so that they could work in a way which will contribute to scientific enquiry.
Mr. Gibril Bah, scientific officer and head of Haematology at MRC, indicated that the qualification for the certificate course in biomedical science require a student to pass 6 course modules including cell biology and Human Physiology, Basic Biochemistry and Immunology, Statistic and Numeracy, Basic Haematology, Basic Microbiology and Basic Genetics and Molecular Biology. Mr. Bah added that the aim of the certificate course is to assist laboratory technicians to use their foundation of biological knowledge in the understanding of simple techniques in biomedical research and to prepare them academically for study on the diploma course. Mr. Bah further said that the aims of the Diploma are:
- To provide a highly quality educational and academic experience to our laboratory technicians.
- To provide a recognizable professional qualification and
- To prepare participants for potential further study opportunities
The course consists of six modules, each with a rating of 15 credits including introductory Biomedical Sciences, Micro Biology, Immunology, Parasitology Haemotology, Laboratory Management and Safety'. Mr. Bah noted that for a student to be awarded with the Diploma all the six modules must be passed to accumulate a total of 90 credits. Deputising for the SoS for Health, the Deputy Permanent Secretary, Mr. Omar Taal, said that MRC has made significant achievement in the provision of quality training. Mr. Taal added that the development of training in biomedical sciences has also been extended to the Civil Service. He said that the certificate is important and the number has increased and he hoped that further studies will increase.
Mr. Tumani Corrah, MRC Unit Director, said that MRC The Gambia is the UK's largest investment in Medical Research in the tropics. He added that MRC is focused on the development and testing of interventions aimed at preventing or reducing some of the major infections that cause ill health and death in The Gambia, Africa and the developing World. Mr. Corrah indicated that MRC research programmes include Malaria, acute respiratory infections, Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, Measles and Hepatitis which are the disease responsible for millions of death in our sub-region. The MRC Director added that The Gambia was one of the first countries in Africa to introduce Hepatitis B and Heamophillus influenzae Type B vaccination into the EPI, contributing towards making The Gambia's EPI one of Africa's best.
Deputising for the SoS for Education, the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Baboucarr Boye, said that graduation is a point at which one moves from status a without qualification to a status with qualification. He said that DOSE Sponsorship and advertisements are always filled by applications from biomedical sciences students because of their determination in science. Mr. Boye added that MRC should on how to work with UTG for the biomedical science course to be transformed into a degree program. Mr. Boye concluded by urging the graduands to work as a group to serve their country and the challenge before them is what next after qualification. Certificates were presented to the graduands by Professor Sarah Rowland Jones and the vote of thanks was given by Tisbeh Faye-Joof, a graduands in the Diploma biomedical sciences.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No.009/2007, 22-23 January, 2007
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