AAU’s teaching Hospitals

Overview

Addis Ababa University has two teaching hospitals: Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, (TASH) housed at College of Health Sciences and Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH), located at Debre Zeit Campus, College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture.

 Prior to 1972, the School of Medicine was located on the main campus for preclinical training and the then Princess Tsehay Memorial Hospital (now, the Armed Forces General Hospital) for clinical training. Later, with the opening of the Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital (TASH) in 1972, the hospital became the only site for training medical doctors.

 In 1998, the TASH, the largest referral hospital in the country, with 700 beds, was transferred to the School by the Federal Ministry of Health, and it has since become a teaching hospital. The Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital is now the main teaching hospital for both clinical and preclinical training of most disciplines. It is also an institution where specialized clinical services that are not available in other public or private institutions are rendered to the whole nation.

 The TASH has 200 doctors, 379 nurses and 115 other health professionals dedicated to providing health care services. The various departments, faculties and residents under specialty training in the School of Medicine provide patient care in the hospital. The hospital also has 950 permanent and contract administrative staff to support the hospital activities. In addition, almost all regional and federal hospitals in Addis Ababa are affiliated to the School of Medicine for clinical and training services.

 One of the highest merits of the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVMA-AAU) is its enduring public service. Thanks to its ideal location, CVMA delivers its veterinary services to the surrounding communities through the Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH), which is a newly established department. Formerly, VTH was under the Department of Clinical Studies named as ‘Veterinary Open-air Clinic’. It was inaugurated as a veterinary teaching hospital in 2010 and moved to a new building which was exclusively designed for the same purpose. VTH is a facility in which clinical, hospital and consultative services are rendered to the public. The academic staff members of the basic and applied veterinary science also teach veterinary students and perform important research. Both the academic and administrative staff of the VTH are engaged in treating all species of animals presented to the hospital. The consultancy services, which are occasionally also supported by ambulatory clinical services, usually target farm enterprises within and around Debre Zeit town. Although recently interrupted because of lack of liquid nitrogen supply, the VTH used to deliver artificial insemination services to dairy farm owners within and around the town.

 Between 15 and 20,000 animals visit the VTH each year to receive different kinds of treatments. Dairy farms, swine farms, poultry farms and feedlots are the primary beneficiaries of the consultancy and ambulatory services. Small holder dairy owners, farmers of the surrounding villages often make direct visits. Rarely, mules and various kinds of wild animals are also brought to the VTH for clinical services. Moreover, as part of its student training program, the VTH receives more than 25 extern students from various veterinary institutes such as Mekele, Jimma, Gondar, Hawassa and Haramaya.