By Rachel Kakraba
Minister for Health, Kwaku Agyemang Manu, says the Ministry is working on a formal policy on funding postgraduate medical training in Ghana. He intimated that the initiative, when successful, will bring on board more stakeholders who will fund postgraduate studies.
“We are currently working on getting a formal policy on the funding of Postgraduate medical training established so that the funding system will not be solely dependent on the government.
Mr. Manu made this known at the launch of the 20th anniversary of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons (GCPS) in Accra.
The college, which is Ghana’s foremost postgraduate medical institution, has produced more than 1,700 members and 200 fellows.
Mr. Agyemang Manu extolled the contribution of the College towards policy discussion and achieving universal health coverage in the country. He paid glowing tribute to its founding fathers, adding that the ministry is committed to ensuring that health facilities in the country are resourced with the requisite personnel made up of fellows and members of the college as well as other medical staff.
“It is the hope of the ministry that every hospital in this country will have a healthcare team comprising members and fellows of the college working together with other healthcare professionals. The contribution of the products of the college to health policy discussions will also help us come out with the best systems possible to ensure that our universal health coverage targets are achieved.”
Adding on, Mr. Agyemang Manu said, “I would like to encourage the leadership of the college to use this 20th anniversary period to deliberate on how we can work together to increase the rate of production of specialists without compromising the quality of training. This will also be a good time to think about how to expand specialist training to all regions of the country.”
The paramount Chief of Asokore Asante in the Ashanti Region, Prof. Nana SKB Asante, challenged the leadership of the college to focus its training on technological advancement.
“Some of our own Ghanaian colleague fellows from the West African college were also against the idea. 20 years later, here we are with an established, respected, and thriving college backed by a law which has been twice amended and is likely to be amended again in the not too distant future to reflect the rapidly changing electronic technological and communication environment for self learning didactic teaching and practise”
He also encouraged the college to use the 20th anniversary to review urgent health needs in the country.
“It is time for a serious appraisal and major review to inform our required next steps. It is for major changes that will address the pressing health needs of the Ghanaian community, including universal quality, equitable, and accessible healthcare.”
Established in 2003, the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons is a public institution that provides post-graduate medical training in medicine, surgery, and related disciplines.
It has the mandate to promote specialist education in medicine, surgery, and related disciplines; promote continuous professional development in medicine, surgery, and related disciplines, promote postgraduate medical education and research in medicine, surgery, and related disciplines; and contribute to the formulation of policies on sound health and public health generally.
