The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has raised concerns over the establishment of new medical schools by tertiary institutions in the country.

The president of the GMA, Dr. Frank Serebour, speaking to Citi News warned that this practice could lead to a reduction in the standards and quality of medical training and practice.

Instead, he urged the government to focus on expanding existing facilities to train more people.

Dr. Serebour emphasized the need for quality training and the maintenance of standards in the healthcare sector, expressing his dissatisfaction with the creation of new medical schools.

He advocated for the adoption of the external teaching size concept, which he believes would ensure that standards are maintained, quality is ensured, and good numbers are achieved.

“I am not happy and I think it is wrong for us to be creating new medical schools all over the place and I believe that the external teachers’ size is the way to go. And that for me would ensure that standards are maintained, quality is ensured and even good numbers, and it is also easy and cheap and it’s better than you converting every regional hospital into a teaching hospital or medical school.”

The concerns raised by the GMA come as Ghana faces numerous challenges in the health sector, which significantly affects healthcare delivery. One of the major concerns identified is health facilities serving as teaching hospitals.

In response to these challenges, the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Bekwai Municipal Hospital to serve as a clinical training centre for medical students from KNUST.

The collaboration aims to address the pressure on Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in providing the necessary training for medical students from KNUST.

The MP for Bekwai and First Deputy Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusu, expressed excitement about the collaboration, stating that the training of medical students is a necessity and that they are willing to expand with the availability of funds.

“Training of a medical student is a must, a necessity. These two institutions plus the others are still not sufficient. And willing to expand, of course, it comes with money. And so the day you announced that Bekwai hospital can be used as training, I’ve known no peace.”

Prof. Rita Akosua Dickson, Vice Chancellor for KNUST, also emphasized the importance of maintaining standards in medical education, as health professionals play a crucial role in taking care of the population.

“Regardless of the fact that we are challenged by the huge numbers, one thing that we don’t want to get wrong is that standards must always be maintained because these health professionals are the people that will look after us when are not, in fact when we are unconscious. When you can’t speak, they’ll decide what to do with you and me so we better ensure that the standards are kept.”