Gov’t medical scholarships must be for Ghanaian schools – Entrance University Chancellor appeals

The Chancellor of Entrance University of Health Science (EUHS), Dr Samuel Amo Tobbin, has reiterated his appeal to the government to avoid sponsoring students, especially medical students, to foreign countries to study, as there are equally good universities in the country.

He suggested that the government should rather channel such sponsorships to medical schools in the country to enable them to train more medical students in-country.

Dr Tobbin, who is also the Executive Chairman of the Tobinco Group of Companies, averred that local universities were performing creditably well and needed government support, such as through scholarships for students studying medicine and other healthcare programmes.

The Executive Chairman of Tobinco Group, who is also the President of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Ghana, reiterated the appeal last Friday when the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health paid a working visit to EUHS on the Spintex Road in Accra.

Led by its Chairman, Dr Mark Kurt Nawaane, the committee’s visit was to learn at first-hand the operations of the newly established medical university and how best Parliament could help to address those challenges.

The visit was part of the committee’s oversight and engagement with key institutions involved in health, education, research, and local pharmaceutical manufacturing in Ghana.

The Chancellor of Entrance University of Health Science also appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to use his international connections to intervene and push for the interests of Ghanaian companies in the sub-region.

He said his company, for instance, had supplied millions worth of medicines to neighbouring countries, but payment had been delayed unduly.

“When we supply, the payments do not come and the payment delays. So I am pleading with President Mahama to talk to his colleague presidents in Burkina, Mali, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Togo, Benin and The Gambia to pay us,” he appealed.

Dr Tobbin said, “These countries owe us a lot of money, and we are expecting some interventions.”

Huge investment

Dr Tobbin said so many resources had been invested in the university and the Tobinco Group of Companies, especially the pharmaceutical section, due to “our love for mother Ghana” and to provide job opportunities for the youth.

Such investment, he said, was targeted at discouraging many youths from embarking on hazardous travels through the deserts to seek greener pastures, where many lose their lives.

He expressed his appreciation to President Mahama for his support of the company during his first term, when the EXIM Bank lent support to the company.

“That support really boosted Tobinco to come out of this wholesale and retail business to do importation, and now we are into manufacturing.

“So, if the Parliamentary Select Committee are here for a visit, we first of all ask that when you go back, render our sincere gratitude to the President for myself, my company and also for the pharmaceutical industry,” he said.

Acknowledging the intention of President Mahama to make Ghana a pharmaceutical hub in the sub-region, Dr Tobbin said his firm was poised to take advantage of such an intention.

Commendation

For his part, the select committee commended Entrance University of Health Science for its role in training quality doctors and other health professionals for the country.

Dr Nawaane particularly cited the university for standing out as a shining example of how academic excellence and industrial innovation could work hand-in-hand to strengthen Ghana’s health sector.

He said Tobinco Pharmaceutical Company, the parent company of EUHS, had attained international stature, from its humble beginnings as a wholesaling outlet and now as a manufacturing entity.

“Your commitment to training the next generation of medical professionals while investing in pharmaceutical production aligns perfectly with Ghana’s broader agenda for health security, self-reliance in essential medicines and job creation,” Dr Nawaane, who is also the Member of Parliament for Nabdam, said.

The duty tour was to help members understand how institutions such as EUHS and Tobinco Pharmaceuticals were supporting the government’s efforts to achieve universal health coverage and improve access to quality medicines towards the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal Three — ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all. 

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