President John Dramani Mahama have announced the commencement of retooling programme aim to equip major public hospitals with modern medical equipment under the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, describing the initiative as a critical investment to improve healthcare delivery and expand the country’s capacity to train health professionals.
The President made the announcement when the Bono Regional House of Chiefs paid a courtesy call on him at the Jubilee House, where he outlined the government’s plans to modernise regional and teaching hospitals while advancing the establishment of a medical school at the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UNER) in Sunyani.
According to H.E. John Mahama, the first consignment of medical equipment has already been delivered to the Sunyani Teaching Hospital, with additional equipment currently being procured for installation.
He explained that every regional and teaching hospital must be adequately equipped to deliver specialised healthcare and serve as an effective training centre for future medical professionals.
He mentioned that the equipment package for the Sunyani Teaching Hospital includes CT scanners, MRI machines, mammography units and other advanced radiology equipment required for specialised diagnosis and treatment.
“We’ve delivered the first set of equipment to the Sunyani Teaching Hospital, and the other set of equipment is being procured. At the appropriate time, they will be installed. We’ll have CT scans, mammograms, MRIs, radiology equipment and all that installed,”
H.E. John Dramani Mahama
He indicated that the intervention forms part of government’s broader strategy to strengthen healthcare infrastructure, improve access to specialised medical services and reduce the burden on patients who often travel to Accra or Kumasi for advanced diagnostic care.
While addressing longstanding challenges caused by inadequate access to modern diagnostic equipment in many regional hospitals, the President hopes the retooling programme will significantly improve access to quality healthcare while enhancing service delivery across the country’s regional hospitals.
UNER Medical School Still on Course
President Mahama reaffirmed the government’s commitment to establishing a medical school at the University of Energy and Natural Resources, assuring residents of the Bono Region that the project remains on track despite concerns over its pace.
He explained that the initial GH¢10 million allocated for the project was intended to finance feasibility studies, architectural designs and preliminary planning before the mobilisation of the main construction funding.
“It is a work in progress. The initial GH¢10 million was devoted to enable the feasibility study and all the design concepts to be completed while we work on the actual funding. You can be sure that the medical school for UNER will come into being.”
President John Dramani Mahama.
The proposed medical school is expected to work closely with the Sunyani Teaching Hospital by providing practical clinical training for students while increasing the country’s capacity to produce doctors, nurses and other health professionals.
Expanding Medical Education
President Mahama noted that Ghana’s growing population, coupled with the migration of health professionals and increasing demand for quality healthcare, makes the expansion of medical education more important than ever.
He stressed that the government intends to maximise the use of existing teaching and regional hospitals to train more doctors for deployment across the country.
He added that improving hospital infrastructure and expanding medical education are complementary objectives, as well-equipped teaching hospitals provide the environment required for effective clinical training and medical research.
Chiefs Welcome Government’s Commitment
The Bono Regional House of Chiefs welcomed the government’s commitment to improving healthcare services and advancing medical education in the region, describing both initiatives as significant investments that will improve healthcare delivery and create opportunities for future generations.
When completed, the proposed UNER Medical School is also expected to strengthen Ghana’s healthcare workforce by producing more medical professionals, supporting research and innovation, and improving access to quality healthcare services in the Bono Region and neighbouring parts of the country.
When completed, the proposed UNER Medical School is also expected to strengthen Ghana’s healthcare workforce by producing more medical professionals, supporting research and innovation, and improving access to quality healthcare services in the Bono Region and neighbouring parts of the country.
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