Family Health University College Medical School graduates 54

On Thursday 9 November 2023, fifty-four medical students of the Family Health University College (FHUC) Medical School graduated as medical doctors.

They comprised ten males and forty-four females. This is the third set of doctors the Medical School has produced. The doctors included four Nigerians and one Pakistani.

In 2020, the first set of thirty doctors graduated. In 2021, the second set of forty-seven doctors graduated. This brings to one hundred and thirty-one (131) the number of doctors the Family Health Medical School has produced so far.

Also graduating were two hundred BSc Nursing/BSc Midwifery students as well as Clinical Assistants students.

When I told an acquaintance of the graduation of doctors and nurses on 9th November 2023, he stated with surprise,

“I thought Family Health was only a hospital. I did not know it had a medical and nursing/midwifery schools.”

So, what is Family Health University College (FHUC)?

FHUC

Located directly opposite the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), Teshie, Accra, Family Health University College (FHUC) is a private medical facility comprising a hospital, a Nursing & Midwifery School and a Medical School.

The Family Health Medical School is Ghana’s premier private medical school.

FHUC is the brainchild of a medical-profession-couple, Professor Enyonam Yao Kwawukume, a Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, and his wife Dr Susu Bridget Kwawukume, a Consultant Dermatologist.

It started modestly in 1997 as a Diagnostic Centre in a garage at 51 Guggisberg St, Korle Bu. In 2007, it moved to its present permanent site overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and opposite Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), Teshie. As the hospital expanded, the need to train its own nurses saw the establishment of a Nursing and Midwifery Training School in 2009.

From its humble beginnings as a “backyard clinic,” FHUC in 2016 was given a University status, and formally became known as the Family Health University College.

Addresses

The Guest- of Honour was American Professor Tim Johnson, a retired professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Michigan, USA. Prof Johnson has had a long association with Family Health. In his address, he gave the graduating students a detailed historical account of the institution’s journey from its birth. Unable to return to Ghana at the time he planned because of Covid-19 after leaving for the US in 2018, he was impressed and amazed at the tremendous strides FHUC had made in five years. He was particularly impressed with the infrastructural development on the campus.

In his address, the President of FHUC Prof Kwawukume started by thanking Prof Tim Johnson and his team from Michigan as partners and sponsors of FHUC. He stated that, work was in progress to get a Charter for FHUC as a fully-fledged autonomous university soon.

He added that, a unique feature of the Family Health University Medical School is the introduction of Leadership Training for the students.

The aim is to ab initio prepare the new doctors for the real world to take up leadership challenges as soon as they graduate.

This comes from the realization that, while it is often assumed that, graduating with medical, engineering, law or other degrees automatically guarantees leadership, the reality is that, this assumption is incorrect. It is this anomaly that Family Health University Medical School seeks to correct by introducing Leadership training.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana was represented by the Provost of Health Sciences Prof Julius Fobil. He advised the graduating students to accept postings to the districts and not insist on being posted to Accra, Kumasi, Sekondi-Takoradi or other regional capitals only.

Awards

Dr Natali Osei, a product of St Louis Secondary School, Kumasi emerged the Honour-Graduate. In her valedictory speech, she thanked FHUC for helping the students make their dreams a reality. Similarly, the Honour-Graduate of the Nurses/Midwifery Classes Ms Laura Doe thanked FHUC for making them actualize their dreams. They promised to work hard to maintained the high standards set by their predecessors.

Among the guests who came to support/celebrate the graduating students was Emeritus Professor Jonathan Narh Aryertey, retired Dean of Graduate Studies, University of Ghana, Legon, and later Dean of Academic Affairs at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Teshie. He was accompanied by his wife to celebrate their grandson who graduated as a medical doctor. Incidentally, the graduating doctor’s father is himself a medical doctor (Obs & Gynae) Dr Padi Ayertey, founder of the Resolve Female Hospital, Lashibi.

Also present was a Chief Medical Director from Abuja, Nigeria Professor Ekele whose daughter was one of the newly graduated medical doctors.

Summary

In a classic show of time-consciousness, the function started on time with the Registrar Mrs Rita Kaine in charge of affairs. It lasted less than three hours, coming to an end before midday.

Congratulations and commendations to the founders of Family Health University College Prof Enyonam Yao Kwawukume and his wife Dr (Mrs) Susu Bridget Kwawukume whose vision and tenacity, have transformed a “backyard clinic” (Diagnostic Centre) in 1997 into a University College in 2017. Currently, the Family Health University comprises a hospital, a Nursing/Midwifery Training School and a Medical School.

Similar commendations go to the Staff and Faculty for their dedication and hard work.

It is hoped that the Family Health Medical School will continue producing medical doctors and nurses/midwives as well as clinical assistants of the highest caliber, as its modest contribution to national development.  

Leadership, Lead! Fellow Ghanaians, WAKE UP!

The writer is a former CEO, African Peace Support Trainers Association, Nairobi, Kenya and Council Chairman, Family Health University College, Accra.

Email: dkfrimpong@yahoo.com