Accra: Madam Marietta Agyeiwaa Brew, Chairperson of the University of Ghana Council, has welcomed the Government's decision to transfer the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) from the Health Ministry to the University of Ghana. She emphasized that this change would fully integrate the Medical Centre into the University's broader framework for training health professionals, advancing clinical research, and shaping national health policy with the assistance of the Health Minister.
According to Ghana News Agency, Madam Brew expressed these sentiments during her remarks at the inauguration of the Transition Management Team of the UGMC by President John Dramani Mahama at the Presidency in Accra. The Transitional Management Committee is co-chaired by Professor Aaron Lawson, a seasoned academic and former provost of the College of Health Sciences of the University of Ghana, and Professor Mutawakilu Iddrisu, a neurological specialist from Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. The Committee is tasked with submitting a comprehensive report to the President within three months from the date of inauguration.
Madam Brew highlighted that after the transition, the UGMC is expected to function not only as a tertiary care facility but as a dynamic academic medical center focused on teaching, service, and innovation. She envisioned UGMC as a place where future medical professionals are trained through world-class experience, where evidence-based research informs clinical practice, and where patients receive care that meets the highest global standards.
She further reiterated the importance of UGMC becoming a hub for collaboration, working alongside other medical facilities both within and outside the country. These partnerships, she noted, would strengthen referral systems, improve continuity of care, promote knowledge sharing, enable joint research, and support collective responses to national health priorities. Through such collaborations, UGMC could play a pivotal role in building a stronger, more resilient health system in Ghana.
Madam Brew pledged the Council's full support for the transition process, asserting confidence in the distinguished individuals leading the process. She emphasized their diligence, integrity, and deep appreciation of the center's critical role in the national and regional health landscape.
Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, also expressed gratitude to President Mahama for fulfilling his campaign promise of transferring the UGMC to the University. She assured that the University would not take this task lightly and pledged full support to the transition team. She committed to providing the necessary logistics and support to ensure the Committee's successful delivery within the stipulated three months.