By Ebi Kesiena
The Ministerial Committee tasked by the government to work towards the integration of Ghanaian student returnees from Ukraine has successfully enrolled 100 students into medical schools in the country.
Dr. Nsiah Asare, chairman of the committee, who announced this, explained that all the 100 students went through the vetting and assessment processes put in place by the Ghana Medical and Dental Council in collaboration with the various stakeholders tasked to ensure the integration process.
He explained that the committee has therefore reported to the government about the situation.
Dr. Nsiah Asare disclosed this to the media after the last meeting of the committee with the various stakeholders in the integration process in Accra.
In attendance at the meeting were representatives of the Ministry of Education, GTEC, Medical and Dental Council, all the Deans of the Medical Schools and the two private universities and the Student Representative Council of Ukraine returnees.
He explained the various processes they went through before the enrolment of the students into their choice of medical schools in the country.
He hinted that the 100 qualified students were placed in levels 100 to 500, but indicated that no one was paced at level 600 due to their qualifications.
This, he said, was due to the fact that the course structure in Ukraine was different from that of Ghana, adding that their transcripts were used for placements in the various levels.
Dr. Nsiah Asare stated that all the placed students would start their academic work from this month to November depending on where they are placed and the reopening date of that institution.
He commended the WHO and other stakeholders for their support and contribution towards the successful integration of the students into the nation’s medical schools as requested by the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
He was quick to mention that despite the desire for more doctors, nurses and other professionals, the floodgate would not be opened for unqualified personnel to be recruited as health personnel.
Unqualified persons posed a danger to patients, he said.
The Students Representative Council President for the Ukraine students, Philip Bobie Ansah, appealed to the government to consider accepting many of their mates who could not be part of the assessment for the integration. He was however happy for the opportunity offered them leading to 100 of them going through successfully into various medical schools in the country.
The initial registration with the GTEC recorded over 1,000 students available.
A total of 187 were eligible to partake in the assessment but only 117 registered with the GMDC to partake in the assessment.
During the assessment, only 101 presented themselves for the exercise and 100 were declared successful as one person was disqualified due to the fact it was discovered that before the war broke out, he had left medical school for more than three years.
