Director-General (DG) of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), Professor Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, has paid an informal visit to Family Health University (FHU), to observe the institution’s progress since receiving its Presidential Charter.
The visit was hosted by FHU’s Founder and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Enyonam Yao Kwawukume and Dr. Susu Bridget Kwawukume, Founder and Chief Medical Director of Family Health Hospital. They welcomed the GTEC Director-General, with gratitude, highlighting how meaningful the visit was to the institution, and expressed their heartfelt appreciation for GTEC’s unwavering support over the years.
Senior Members present at the meeting included the Pro-Vice Chancellor, Professor Philip Odonkor; the Registrar, Mrs. Rita Kaine; Dean of the Medical School, Dr. Sylvester Yaw Oppong; Acting Dean of the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Dr. Augustina Ofori-Asamoah; GEMP Coordinator, Professor Festus Adzaku; Director of Academics and Students Affairs, Dr. Emmanuel Labram; the immediate past Dean of the Medical School, Dr. Charles Fleischer-Djoleto; the Hospital Administrator, Madam Joana Agyare, and the Matron of the Hospital, Madam Veronica Amedo.
In his remarks, the GTEC Director-General commended the university’s “massive speed of development within a short time,” praising it as evidence of visionary leadership, a strong governing board, and a highly qualified faculty. He noted that FHU’s rapid growth and innovation affirmed its prestigious status as Ghana’s first private chartered university with a medical school.
Prof. Kwawukume also shed light on FHU’s contributions to global healthcare, particularly its hallmark bloodless fibroid surgical method, now gaining attention from global health bodies such as the World Health Organisation (WHO).
In the area of public health, Prof. Kwawukume reiterated FHU’s commitment to research, and pledged to eliminate cervical cancer in the Teshie-Nungua enclave within five years. He also expressed heartfelt condolences on the loss of Professor Timothy R.B. Johnson, a founding mentor whose role in shaping FHU’s success was invaluable. A newly named e-library on campus now bears his name in honour.
The visit also sparked critical discussions on policy. Dr. Sylvester Yaw Oppong, the Dean of the Medical School, made a passionate appeal for government support in the form of tax rebates for medical equipment, and also advocated for the extension of fee waivers for first-year students in private chartered universities, emphasising national equity in education.
Looking to the future, FHU announced its commitment to explore AI-assisted health technologies through local partnerships to enhance medical education and healthcare delivery.
The GTEC Director reaffirmed the Commission’s support for private science-based universities, noting that many private institutions are not profit-driven but face challenges that require national support.
The visit concluded with a campus tour, including stops at the ultra-modern emergency wards, dialysis unit, cadaver lodge, lecture halls, the university library, and the e-library. Prof. Abdulai also engaged with students, spoke briefly about the work of GTEC, and encouraged them to study diligently.
The visit marks a renewed chapter of collaboration between FHU and GTEC, reinforcing the role of visionary private institutions in Ghana’s tertiary and healthcare education space.