The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has expressed concerns about the establishment of new medical schools by tertiary institutions in the country, warning that this could potentially lower the standards and quality of medical training and practice.
The president of the GMA, Dr. Frank Serebour, emphasized the importance of expanding existing facilities to train more healthcare professionals instead.
Dr. Serebour suggested adopting the external teaching size concept to ensure that standards are maintained, quality is guaranteed, and good numbers are achieved in medical education. He criticized the trend of creating new medical schools all over the country and advocated for a more strategic approach to training medical professionals.
These concerns from the GMA come at a time when Ghana is facing significant challenges in the health sector, particularly in healthcare delivery. One of the main issues identified is the strain on health facilities serving as teaching hospitals.
In response to these challenges, the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has partnered with the Bekwai Municipal Hospital to establish a clinical training center for medical students. This collaboration aims to alleviate the pressure on the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in providing adequate training for medical students from KNUST.
The MP for Bekwai and First Deputy Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusu, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration and emphasized the importance of training medical students. He noted the necessity of expanding training facilities, albeit with the availability of funds.
Prof. Rita Akosua Dickson, Vice Chancellor for KNUST, reiterated the significance of maintaining standards in medical education, as healthcare professionals play a crucial role in caring for the population. She emphasized the need to ensure that standards are consistently upheld to guarantee the quality of healthcare services provided by trained medical professionals.
