The Ghana Health Service (GHS), the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons and the C.K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Navrongo, have jointly signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deepen medical education and healthcare delivery in the country.

Also present at the event was the Registrar-Head of Administration, Medical and Dental Council, Dr Divine Banyubala.

The strategic partnership among the three institutions is set to introduce a decentralised model of medical training, starting with a pilot programme to train doctors in the Upper East Regional Hospital.

The initiative also seeks to expand the number of medical schools across the country and also create a clear structured career progression pathways for healthcare professionals. 

Significance

Leaders of the three institutions - the Director-General, GHS, Prof. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea; the Rector of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, Prof. Richard Adanu, and the Vice Chancellor of the C.K. Tedam University, Prof. Albert Luguterah, who signed the MoU, expressed confidence that the partnership would not only boost local capacity but also position Ghana as a hub for the export of world-class medical professionals.

It also aims to enhance the training and retention of medical specialists, strengthen clinical progression for medical officers and grow the country’s specialist workforce.

Career progression

Prof. Akoriyea described the initiative as a bold and long-overdue step that would bring lasting change to the country’s health sector. 

He said the agreement was a vital arrangement to enhance career progression, particularly for medical officers and could also lead to the establishment of more medical schools nationwide.

The D-G further said that by leveraging the expertise, infrastructure and nationwide reach of the GHS, the long-standing gap between academic training and clinical practice could be bridged.