Cuba to train 40 Ghanaian students in Zongo communities

Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman Manu, has said that the Nana Addo-led government has facilitated a training opportunity in Cuba for 40 brilliant but needy medical students from Zongos and other deprived communities in the country.

The Vice President, Dr. Mahama Bawumia, according to him, secured the opportunity through a proposal to the government of Cuba asking them to extend the special arrangement between the two countries for the training of health personnel in deprived communities.

‘Vice President Bawumia made the proposal when he held bilateral talks with the President of Cuba, H.E. Miguel Diaz-Canel as part of a two-day official visit to the Caribbean country’ the Health Minister said.

In a Facebook post, the Minister said, the program will begin next year and will be gender sensitive to ensure that everyone gets equal opportunity.

‘According to officials, the programme will begin next year. Gender parity will be ensured in the selection of the students to be trained as medical doctors, with a proposed selection of 20 males and 20 females.’

According to Mr. Agyeman Manu, the government of Cuba is ready and willing to assist Ghana in training brilliant but needy students in medicine, a profession that hitherto was the reserve of the elite in the society.

“The President of Cuba noted that over the years the government of Cuba has tried to demystify the training of doctors by making sure the study of medicine is not the preserve of the elite. Cuba has 80,000 doctors as a result. He lauded Ghana’s efforts to offer medical training to brilliant but needy students from poor communities like the Zongos and inner cities and said that Cuba is ready to support Ghana in achieving its goal,” his post read.

The training of the doctors and other professionals from poor communities is aimed at not just lifting such persons out of poverty but also to create important role models for other children in the communities.

As part of his visit, the Vice President witnessed the graduation ceremony of 221 newly-trained medical personnel, where Ghanaian student, Dr. Ahmed Ayebeng Owusu, was adjudged the overall best foreign student.