KNUST medical school @ 50: Govt commits GH¢46m to complete KNUST Teaching Hospital
The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has announced the government’s commitment of GH¢46 million through the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to support the completion of the long-awaited Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Teaching Hospital.
He said the President, John Dramani Mahama, has requested additional commitment of $38 million for the equipping of the teaching hospital after the completion of the civil works by the contractor.
“In a meeting with the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr Frank Amoakohene, I reached out to the contractor executing the civil works, Consar Construction Limited, and asked them to submit their Interim Payment Certificates (IPCs) and return to the site within the next 30 days,” he stressed.
In July 2007, the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, cut the sod for work to begin on the teaching hospital project. However, after 18 years of work on the facility, the project has still not been completed for the benefit of the students.
Golden Jubilee Celebration
Mr Iddrisu disclosed this while addressing a grand durbar to commemorate the 50th anniversary celebration of the School of Medical Sciences, KNUST, at the Great Hall last Friday, October 3, 2025.
Since the establishment of the medical school by the then Head of State, Ignatius Kutu Acheampong, the institution has trained nearly 4,000 doctors who are contributing to the delivery of quality medical care to patients across the country, especially in hard-to-reach areas.
Commitment
The Education Minister said allocated funds formed part of the 2025/2026 formula and added that, under the 2027 formula of the GETfund, the government planned to build two multi-purpose lecture theatres valued at $10 million for the medical school.
He added that President Mahama was committed to expanding access to higher education, thereby demystifying medical education in the nation, saying, “It is essential to expand access to medical education to benefit students irrespective of their geographical location and social status”.
Further, he paid glowing tribute to the then Head of state, Ignatius Kutu Acheampong, for birthing the idea for the establishment of the medical school and said that every President would be remembered always for what they did to contribute to improving the lives of Ghanaians.
“At least when he announced in the 1970s that Ghana must have a second medical school at KNUST, it paved the way for the nation to now boast of five medical schools,” he pointed out.
Admission
The Mawerehene, Baffour Dr Osei Hyeaman Brantuo VI, who represented the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, charged the management of the institution to do something about fee-paying priority over regular students in the medical school.
Using their era as an example, he said some of them had an aggregate of nine and gained admission into the medical school, adding, “Now some students get 8As and they are unable to gain admission into the medical school”.
He entreated the medical school to find innovative ways to train the medical officers and stated that “things have changed and that it is important for new ways to be adopted to provide holistic education to the students”.
Writer’s email: gilbert.agbey@graphic.com.gh
