Meet the 9-member team overseeing UGMC transfer to University of Ghana

President John Dramani Mahama has inaugurated a nine-member transitional committee to oversee the transfer of the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) from the Ministry of Health to the University of Ghana. 

The committee, made up of academics, health professionals, and legal experts, has been given a three-month deadline to complete the process. 

Its main task is to supervise the full integration of UGMC into the university’s governance structure.

The committee is co-chaired by Professor Aaron Lawson, a former Provost of the College of Health Sciences at the University of Ghana, and Professor Mutawakilu Ibin Idrisu, a neurological specialist at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. Their role is to align UGMC’s clinical operations with the university’s academic and research objectives.

Below is the full list of members of the transitional committee:

• 1. Professor Aaron Lawson– Co-Chair; former Provost, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana.
  2. Professor Mutawakilu Ibin Idrisu – Co-Chair; neurological specialist, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
  3. Professor Yvonne Adu-Mensah – Dean, University of Ghana Medical School.
  4. Dr Abdul Bassit Aziz Bamba – Head of Legal, University of Ghana.
  5. Professor Yao Kwakume – Director, Family Health Hospital.
  6. Professor Titus Beyuo – Member of Parliament for Lambussie Constituency.
  7. Professor Samuel Kaba Akoriyea – Director-General, Ghana Health Service.
  8. Miss Matilda Ewusiwa Azumah – Head of Legal, Ministry of Education.
  9. Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo – Vice Chancellor, University of Ghana.

The committee is expected to conduct a legal and operational review, develop integration guidelines, create a roadmap with clear timelines, and establish a transition secretariat. It will also address funding and staffing challenges within the three-month window.

Speaking at the inauguration, Professor Lawson acknowledged the confidence reposed in the committee and said, “We shall not disappoint you.”

He described the task as historically important, adding that it represents the fulfilment of a long-standing vision to align UGMC with the University of Ghana’s academic mission, first conceived as far back as 1962.