Speaking during the matriculation ceremony, the Provost of the College, Mrs. Chetachi Chibueze Jerry Usulor, traced the humble beginnings of the institution, noting that it was established in 2007 as a School of Health Technology at a temporary site in the Ngbo Court Area before relocating to its permanent location and attaining full college status.
According to her, the College currently operates four academic departments, namely Community Health, Environmental Health, Health Information Management, and Medical Laboratory Technician.
She gave a breakdown of the newly admitted students, stating that the Community Health Department admitted 151 students, Health Information Management recorded 52 students, Environmental Health admitted 34 students, while the Medical Laboratory Technician programme took in 36 students, bringing the total number of matriculating students to 274.
The Provost further disclosed that the Community Health, Environmental Health, and Health Information Management departments have secured full accreditation from their respective regulatory bodies, while accreditation for the Medical Laboratory Technician programme is expected in the near future.
Highlighting key legislative milestones, Mrs. Usulor explained that the bill establishing the College was passed by the Ebonyi State House of Assembly under the leadership of Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, now the Executive Governor of Ebonyi State, and was assented to on March 5, 2019, by the former Governor, Engr. David Nweze Umahi, making it Law 001 of 2019.
She added that an amendment law changing the institution’s name to Ebonyi State College of Health Sciences and Technology, Ngbo, has also been passed to meet the requirements of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) accreditation.
On infrastructure development, the Provost noted that the College has benefited from several projects, including buildings provided through the Health System Development Project (HSDP II), interventions from the Ministry of Health, constituency projects by Senator Chris Nwankwo (Ozuoha), as well as newly completed classroom blocks and a solar-powered facility executed under the current administration.
She also emphasized the College’s strides in information and communication technology (ICT), revealing that students now sit for computer-based tests (CBT) for entrance examinations, departmental qualifying exams, and national professional examinations within the campus. She added that all lecturers are proficient in the use of PowerPoint presentations, which has enhanced effective teaching and learning.
Despite these achievements, the Provost identified some challenges confronting the institution, including the need for NBTE accreditation, perimeter fencing, improved security, hostel accommodation, staff quarters, transportation buses, and increased government subvention.
She therefore appealed to philanthropists, corporate organizations, and well-meaning individuals to support the College in addressing these needs.
In her address to the matriculating students, Mrs. Usulor charged them to be law-abiding, disciplined, and committed to their studies, while urging parents and guardians to continue supporting the institution in its mandate of training a competent health workforce for Ebonyi State and Nigeria at large.
