Ghana, China sign agreement for biomedical school

Ghana and China on Friday signed an acceptance certificate, following the completion of the construction of a School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Health and Allied Sciences in the Volta region.

Under the project, the Chinese government provided a 20-million dollar grant and Ghana provided a counterpart funding of GH?3.5 million.

Constructed by China Yanjian group Company Limited, the School has facilities including, faculty of basic and biomedical sciences, main administration block, library, 15 lecture halls, one multi-purpose auditorium, 7 laboratories, cafeteria and kitchen, electrical transformation and distribution room, students hostel for 65 and four semi-detachable two bedroom.

Mrs Sun Baohong, Chinese Ambassador to Ghana said there were all together 11 buildings under the project with parking lots, basketball courts, outside roads and other facilities.

She said the contractor has fulfilled his duty with high sense of responsibility and set up another landmark which reflect the friendly sentiments between the two countries.

Mrs Baohong said both Ghana and China attach great importance to education adding that “we all hold that the quality of talents determine a nation’s development and progress.’’

Education has always been one of the priority areas for our bilateral cooperation and disclosed that this year China has provided 90 scholarships and more than 700 training opportunities to Ghanaian talents, she added.

The Ambassador said twenty two Ghanaian professionals would attend training course on maternal health service, a 90-day training programme in Chengdu, Sichuan province.

She expressed the hope that the Chinese government’s support for the University will help more Ghanaians achieve higher medical education.

She said the Embassy has received a request for furniture and gave an assurance that China will provide the needed support within her capacity indicating that China and Ghana will always remain Ghana’s trustworthy friend and sincere partner as China looks out for more cooperation in the future.

By this signing Chinese government has handed over the completed building to Ghana government.

Prof Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, Minister of Education expressed appreciation to the Chinese government for the immense support to education in Ghana.

She said Ghana is one country that puts 30 per cent of GoG in education though the sector receives support from other sources.

She indicated that because of this people of Ghana deserve to see results especially in the area of science and mathematics because they are the basis of all sources of education even though it is not because the humanities are not important.

The Minister said the new emerging universities are science base because “we want to raise the level of science so that is why we are turning Polytechnics into universities to refocus them into the sciences.

She however noted that we need to look critically at getting good marks at the lower levels so that we can get into the higher levels.

Prof Opoku-Agyemang praised Ghanaian students saying that “our students are bright, they can learn and can do everything well so the bilateral cooperation in the education sector is most appreciated.

She informed the Ambassador and her delegation that from the time of Nkrumah to date, Ghana has had very good relations with China and recently the two countries celebrated years of this relations to re-emphasise the importance in cementing the mutual benefits.