Inadequate funding slowing medical education

Professor Clifford Nii-Boi Tagoe, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana Medical School (UGMS), has cited insufficient funding and facilities as a major factor stifling the advancement of medical education in the country.

Professor Tagoe was speaking at a lecture organised by the University of Ghana Medical School (UGMS), as part of activities marking its 50th anniversary celebrations on the topic “50 Years of Medical Education in Ghana: Successes, Challenges and Future Prospects”.

He said the University of Ghana Medical School is currently under-resourced in terms of facilities and staff due to financial constraints -- a phenomenon that is similar to other medical schools in the country, stressing it hinders the progress of medical education in the country as a whole.

He said inadequate accommodation for both medical students and teaching staff poses a threat to medical education as the school currently admits a small number of students to read medicine, with the majority of applicants turned away though they are equally qualified for admission.

He said most existing facilities at UGMS have not seen any expansion over the past 50 years, which has resulted in overcrowding at such facilities due to the increasing numbers in student admission.

“Another serious problem apart from restricted student intake and brain-drain is the instance where medical graduates desert to other professions after training, which derails the quest to provide sufficient medical practitioners to meet the country’s ever-increasing population,” he said.

Despite the challenges, he said, medical schools in the country have over the years played a pivotal role in producing qualified health practitioners for the nation, whose significant efforts have shown a steady decline in some health-related problems facing the country.

He said UGMS has been influential in the development of other medical institutions in the country through the provision of the needed resources, advanced research in various medical fields, and strengthened international collaborations toward modernization of the medical practice.

He also lauded the increased interest of students to read medicine over the years, especially in the case of women who seem to be gradually taking over in terms of gender parity in the various medical institutions.

Professor Tagoe suggested that district assemblies should sponsor aspiring medical students in their districts so they can return to the district to render their services, as tuition fees is usually high compared to other disciplines and sister medical schools across the sub-region.