Gov’t gives hope to Ghanaian medical students in Ukraine

The Government has come to the rescue of some 1,000 Ghanaian students studying medicine in Ukraine after assuring them that despite the war in the country, their education will not be truncated.

The assurance follows a pact signed between the Ghana Scholarships Secretariat and the St George’s University of Medicine in the Caribbean island of Grenada.

The agreement comes at a time when most students in Ukraine fear their studies will be truncated as a result of the war between Ukraine and Russia.

The agreement was signed yesterday on behalf of Ghana by the Registrar of the Scholarships Secretariat, Mr Kingsley Agyemang, with David Anthonisz, Director of Recruitment and Commercial Engagement, signing for St. George’s University.

The agreement follows an earlier Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2019 between the two bodies.

Under the MoU signed in 2019, selected students who have first degrees in medical sciences will be offered scholarship for post-graduate training in the medical field.

The scholarship packages range from 50 to 100 per cent funding by the awarding institution, with the Scholarship Secretariat as the coordinating agency.

Respite for students

There had been concerns with regard to how students on Government of Ghana scholarships, especially those pursuing medicine, were going to complete their studies due to the Russian invasion of the country.

Speaking after the signing of the agreement yesterday, Mr Kingsley Agyemang said the pact, which takes full effect immediately, would help the affected students to have a smooth transition with their studies and continue at the St. Georges University.

He disclosed that students would also have access to two of the best three hospitals in the world in the course of their studies.

“The Government of Ghana, under the leadership of His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, takes the education of Ghanaian students very serious no matter where they find themselves. He therefore instructed me to quickly find a way to ensure that these students who are affected by the unfortunate situation in Ukraine can find a way to continue their studies. I therefore see the signing of this agreement as very important, especially considering the timing as well,” he said.

He added that the students who had so far left Ukraine, and are in Ghana now, would be contacted and the necessary arrangements done to quickly get them to continue with their studies in Grenada.

Mr Agyemang said the move is important because it will also complement the Ghana’s efforts to train medical professionals, as the country works towards achieving universal health coverage.

Best treatment

David Anthonisz, for his part, said the St George University of Medicine is more than happy and ready to absorb the medical students and ensure that they continue with their studies. He assured the Government of Ghana, the Scholarships Secretariat and the students that they would be given the best of treatment.

He commended Ghana for having a reputation for creating great students at the international level, saying that was one of the reasons for the partnership.

He said the University had trained over 16,000 professionals, with over 10,000 of them practicing in the United States and other countries.

He expressed the hope that the collaboration between Ghana and the St George University would see to the grooming of great health professionals in the country.

Present at the ceremony were Molly K O’Neill, Chief Growth and Strategy Officer of Medforth, a global healthcare education organisation; Richard Aidoo, Chief Accountant of the Scholarships Secretariat; Afua Gyasiwaa Gaisie, Head of Education and Recruitment, Ghana High Commission, and Richard Gyamfi, who is in charge of Diaspora Affairs at the Scholarship Secretariat.

St George’s University

St George’s University School of Medicine is a private international university offering degrees in medicine and other related programmes.

It is reputed to be among the best universities that offer world-class educational experience in the training of health professionals.