Cuba to train 40 medical students a year from Zongo and disadvantaged communities

General News on Friday, July 26, 2019

Source: Jubilee House

2019-07-26

The Cuban government has agreed to train forty (40) bright but needy medical students a year in Zongo, downtown and other disadvantaged communities in Ghana.

This follows a proposal by Dr. MahamuduBawumia, Vice-President of the Republic, to the Government of Cuba to extend the special agreement concluded between the two countries for the training of health personnel in disadvantaged communities.

Vice President Bawumia made this proposal during his bilateral talks with Cuba's President, H.E. Miguel Diaz-Canel as part of a two-day official visit to this Caribbean country.

According to officials, the program will begin next year. Gender parity will be ensured in the selection of students to train as doctors, with a selection proposal of 20 men and 20 women.

The President of Cuba noted that over the years, the Cuban government had tried to demystify the training of doctors by ensuring that the study of medicine is not the prerogative of the country. 39; elite. Cuba has 80,000 doctors.

He praised Ghana's efforts to provide medical education to bright but needy students from poor communities such as the Zongos and inner cities and said Cuba was ready to help Ghana reach its goal.

Training of doctors and other professionals in poor communities will not only lift them out of poverty but will also provide important role models to other children in the communities.

Vice President Bawumia also attended the graduation ceremony of 221 newly trained medical staff members at the University of Medical Sciences of Cuba. The Ghanaian doctor, Ahmed Ayebeng Owusu, has been named the best foreign student.