Mahama sets 3-month deadline to merge UGMC with University of Ghana by October
President John Dramani Mahama has inaugurated a nine-member transitional committee tasked with fully integrating the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) into the University of Ghana within three months.
The ceremony took place on Wednesday, July 8, 2025.
President Mahama described the move as a strategic shift in Ghana’s approach to healthcare delivery and higher education.
He said the integration was not a routine administrative step, but an institutional realignment intended to improve efficiency, strengthen the link between clinical services and academic research, and make better use of public resources.
The committee’s mandate includes preparing detailed guidelines for the integration process, aligning UGMC’s operations with the University’s teaching and research structures, managing legal and administrative requirements, and resolving issues related to staffing and funding.
The committee is co-chaired by a senior official of the University of Ghana and Professor Mutawakilu Ibin Idrisu of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. It is also expected to design a clear operational roadmap, engage relevant stakeholders, and establish a transition secretariat.
The University of Ghana Medical Centre, located on the Legon campus, stems from a long-standing idea first proposed in 1964 for a “medical village.” While parts of the concept were developed over the years, such as the School of Public Health and the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, the idea of a full medical centre did not materialise until 2013 when construction began under the late President John Evans Atta Mills, with support from Sheba Medical Centre in Israel.
Phase I was commissioned by Mr Mahama in January 2017, and Phase II was completed under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. The facility became fully operational in 2022.
Mr Mahama said the integration would allow UGMC to function both as a national referral facility and a centre for training the next generation of medical professionals.
He said the government, the university, and the public are all in support of the transition.
“This is about building a bridge between the past and the future, a future in which Ghana can serve as a hub for medical innovation, ethical practice, and world-class health outcomes,” Mr Mahama said.
“The work of this committee is a matter of national development and must be approached with urgency and a sense of historic responsibility.”
