Family Health Medical School Endowment Fund launched

In order to make medical education accessible to all, Family Health University College has officially launched the Family Health Medical School Endowment Fund. The Fund would cater for the needy but brilliant Ghanaian students, who have the passion for becoming medical doctors in future but cannot afford the cost.

The theme for the launch was "Empowering the Needy for 21st Century Medical Education."

Medical education is expensive, such that, it can only be afforded by the few rich in the society, whilst a great number of persons with the passion for the profession are unable to access it due to financial constraints.

The main objective of the Fund is to provide financial support to needy but brilliant students who have the desire to be trained as medical doctors.

In a welcome address, the Founder and President of Family Health University College, Prof. Yao Kwawukume, commended past students of the institution who are doing well in serving in cities and rural areas across the country.

He said reports received so far point to the fact that, people in the cities and rural areas where Family Health Medical School Doctors are working, appreciate their contributions a lot.

Prof. Kwawukume further expressed his appreciation to the Governing Council and Board of Trustees, for the effort made in establishing the Endowment Fund to ensure that the less privileged in society are not left behind, as far as medical education are concerned.

He however, appealed to the general public to contribute towards the Fund in order to give hope to the needy but brilliant students.

In an interview, the Chairman, Board of Trustees, Naa (Dr.) Alhassan Andani, disclosed that, for a unique institution like Family Health University College, of which vision is “to be a prime center for the education and training of health professionals, for the advancement of human health”, it is important that an Endowment Fund is established to provide scholarship to the needy but brilliant students, towards the realization of their dreams of becoming medical doctors.

He added that, besides the provision of scholarship to needy but brilliant students, part of the Fund would be used to organize research, and lecture series, and also to acquire teaching and learning aids to ensure that institution provides the best of medical education within the sub-Saharan region and beyond.

The benefits to be derived from the Endowment Fund, according to Naa Andani, are huge, and that is what the society pays for good medical education.

He therefore, entreated both individuals and corporate bodies to contribute generously towards Family Health Medical School Endowment Fund.

A past student of the institution, who went through her medical training by the benevolent support of a philanthropist, encouraged the general public to contribute towards Family Health Medical School Endowment Fund to benefit other less privileged in society, as far as medical education is concerned.

The Board of Trustees members for the Endowment Fund include; Naa (Dr.) Alhassan Andani – Chairman (Former Chief Executive, Stanbic Bank); Dr. Peter Kwame Yeboah – Member (Executive Director, CHAG); Rear Admiral Geoffrey Mawuli Biekro (Rtd) – Member (Former Chief of Naval Staff); Mrs. Merene Botsio Benyah – Member (Ghana’s Ambassador to Italy/Legal Practitioner/Consultant); Mr. Barton Kwaku Glymin – Member (Former Head of MIS, Operations; and Investment & Development (SSNIT); and Rev. (Dr.) Joyce Aryee – Member (Executive Director: Salt & Light Ministries). Ms. Adjoa Adubea Koram (Assistant Registrar, FHMS) is the Secretary to the Board.

Family Health University College started in a garage at 51 Guggisberg Street, Korle Bu in 1997 as a Diagnostic Centre, and was later moved into a rented premise at Zoti Road as Family Health Hospital.

In 2007, it was relocated to its permanent site at Teshie, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and directly opposite the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre.

The Family Health Medical School is affiliated to the University of Ghana, and accredited by both the Medical and Dental Council of Ghana (MDC), and the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC).

The Medical School offers a six-year Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MB ChB) programme for SSCE and ‘A’ Level candidates, and a four and a half-year Bachelor of Surgery (MB ChB) Graduate Entry Medical Programme (GEMP) for first degree holders in science-related disciplines.

Family Health Medical School has recently been approved by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduate (ECFMG), making its students and graduates eligible to apply for ECFMG Certification and United States Medical Licensing Examination(USMLE).