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Accra College of Medicine holds 8th matriculation
• Dr. Mrs Kate Quartey-Papafio delivering her address
Though required to be intellectually equipped to carry out their duties as medical doctors, the Accra College of Medicine (ACM) has gone a step further to add moral training to the programme.
This, the institution believes, will prepare the medical doctors adequately for the arduous task ahead of them in serving their numerous patients.
The Council Chairman of ACM, Prof Stephen Adei, in his welcome address at the 8th Matriculation of ACM, in Accra, said the College had to produce the best medical students for the country.
He said character was what would carry them to the field, adding that,” You must go and stand out as the best academically and morally trained doctors in the service of humanity.”
The Guest Speaker, Dr Mrs Kate Quartey-Papafio bemoaned the fact that though there were many trends in modern medicine,a lot had not been explored in Ghana.
She mentioned that tele-medicine, though not fully established in Ghana, was one of the modern trends being used around the globe, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic where it was essential for patients, doctors, and pharmacists to collaborate effectively for a common good.
“Modern medicine provides the facility for surgeries to be carried out remotely using laparoscopic devices and tools, such that surgeries could be carried on a patient whose doctor resides on a different continent,” she said.
Dr Quartey-Papafio said there was the need to re-orient the youth of the country to adopt social media to change their focus towards providing the needed values in the medical profession.
She urged the matriculants to be innovative by incorporating the various fields of medicine into one theme and bring about changes in the profession.
The President of ACM, Prof Afua Adjo Jectey Hesse reminded the matriculants that everything they would go through would be a test of their character.
She asked them to build their character on the values of integrity, passion, innovation, excellent leadership, community service and above all heart power which were the attributes the Ghanaian public were looking for in their doctors.
Prof Hesse said character was not optional, it was sacrosanct to the future that God had planned for them and their homes.
“ No matter where you place prayers, character matters. The greatest fraud in life is religion without character,” she said.
Ms Michaelina Maa Afia Aframa Appiah, a matriculant who spoke on behalf of her colleagues, thanked their parents and guardians for the enormous sacrifices they had made,adding that they were grateful for the opportunity granted them to study at the college.
She called on her colleagues not to give up no matter how bumpy the road would become, “because one day, millions of people will commend us for our spirit of perseverance,” she said.
The 22 students who took the Matriculation and ACM Honour Code oaths, were admitted to levels 100, 200 and 500 respectively.
By Raymond Kyekye
News
Public lands must not be sold at cheaper prices – Armah-Kofi Buah
Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, the Minister-Designate for Lands and Natural Resources, has firmly opposed the sale of public lands, emphasising that any future transactions involving such lands must be conducted at prevailing market rates to protect the interests of the Ghanaian people.
During his vetting by Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Monday, January 27, Armah-Kofi Buah criticised existing practices that allow public lands to be undervalued and sold at significantly lower rates, describing this as detrimental to national development.
Armah-Kofi Buah outlined the guidelines currently in use by the Lands Commission, explaining that public lands are often sold at just 25 percent of their market value, with the remainder paid through ground rent.
This practice, Armah-Kofi Buah argued, effectively undervalues state-owned assets and deprives the nation of much-needed revenue.
He said,“As we speak, the guidelines for the sale of public lands according to the Lands Commission is that it is valued at 25 percent and the 25 percent of the value is what is sold and the rest is paid through grand rent.”
“That will not happen anymore, and first of all, it should not be sold and if there is a need to sell, it should be done at the current market value so that Ghanaians are not shortchanged,” he revealed.
The sale of public lands to Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) has been a contentious issue in Ghana, with concerns raised about transparency, fairness, and accountability.
Over the years, there have been reports of influential individuals, including politicians, government officials, and their associates, acquiring prime public lands at heavily discounted prices.
Critics argue that these transactions often lack transparency, with limited public oversight or competitive bidding processes.
In some cases, prime lands located in urban centres have been sold to PEPs at prices far below their market value, depriving the state of significant revenue and raising questions about favouritism and abuse of office.
Source: Citinewsroom.com
News
Seven-member team announced to plan National Economic Dialogue.
In fulfilment of his promise to convene a National Economic Dialogue as part of his 120-
day Social Contract with Ghanaians, President John Dramani Mahama has set up a
seven-member National Economic Dialogue Planning Committee chaired by Dr ishmael
Yamson.
The members are Dr K.Y. Amoako, Professor John Gatsi, Mohammed Samara, Nelly
Mireku, Anthony Sarpong and Ernest De-Graft Egyir.
The National Economic Dialogue (NED) will offer a platform for dialogue and
consultation on the country’s pressing development challenges.
It will also discuss policy trade-offs and build consensus on reforms needed to transform Ghana into a high-growth, inclusive, and resilient economy.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Read full statement below
