By Abdullahi Yusuf

The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has appealed to the government of the Republic of Indonesia to consider the establishment of an Islamic Medical University in Ghana.

He suggested that such an institution could be located in the northern part of the country where it would not only bridge the development gap in the country but also deepen the bilateral ties between Ghana and Indonesia.

The minister added that the establishment of such a dedicated medical school could further be discussed at appropriate levels of the two countries to realise its full implementation within the shortest time frame.

He said its realisation would also cement the Islamic ties between the Muslim community in northern Ghana and their counterparts in Indonesia, which has the highest Muslim population in the world.

Mr Iddrisu appealed a courtesy call on him by the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Indonesia, Paskal A. B. Rois, in his office in Accra.

The visit was to congratulate the minister on his appointment and also brief him about the available Indonesian scholarship opportunities, some of which a number of Ghanaian students were already benefiting from.

The minister said that the 21st Century was about competencies, skills and knowledge development which basically dovetailed into science, mathematics and engineering.

He said that Ghana still had a deficit of medical doctors, particularly for rural, deprived and under-developed communities, adding that such a tertiary institution would help improve health outcomes in those areas.

Mr Iddrisu traced the long-standing bilateral relations between the two countries to the era of the first Presidents of Ghana and Indonesia, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, and Achmed Sukarno, through the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), where they established the ties between the two nations and their peoples.

In his response, Mr Rois congratulated the minister on his appointment to lead the ministry, adding that as an experienced lawmaker and a hardworking politician, he was hopeful that Mr Iddrisu would use his rich experience, expertise and knowledge from previous portfolios to positively impact the education sector.

Mr Rois welcomed the minister’s suggestion for the establishment of a medical university in northern Ghana and gave an assurance that he would relay it to the Indonesian authorities.

On the scholarship, the Honorary Consul informed the minister about the opportunities therein, adding that it was open to students from developing countries, including Ghana, for them to study at over 30 prestigious universities in Indonesia.

Mr Rois further said that more than 60 Ghanaian students were currently pursuing partial or fully funded undergraduate, master’s and doctorate programmes in various universities in Indonesia.

He said so far, about six of the beneficiary students had returned to the country upon completion of their two to three-year courses of study.