I?m writing, first hand, with respect to the issue of 250+ Ghanaians who have been sent to Cuba for medical training.? We arrived a few months ago after hectic preparations. Having already had undergraduate university in Ghana, I decided to do a little search on the ground as to be able to compare education here to that of Ghana.
We as a nation have a problem with the numbers of our human resources in many sectors, especially in the health sector, medical doctors to be specific. Our current government thought it wise to sign a deal with Cuba to train us as medical doctors. The cost is being disputed by the political divide back home. By my search, a foreign fee paying student, although their numbers are scarce, pays about $10, 000 yearly for medical education. I also noticed that?s it only African governments who are paying for their students to be trained here. All others from Latin America, etc., in numbers larger than ours don?t pay a dime. In my humble opinion, this deal is not wise under any circumstances. If it?s costing us more to be trained abroad than home, why are we doing it? Is not that I don?t want to become a doctor, but let?s be realistic here.
There was small population of Ghanaian students here numbering a little over fifty when we arrived. They are all on scholarship ? Cuba takes care of their tuition, in the spirit of good friendship, while the Government of Ghana gives each monthly stipend of $250. With the addition of 250+ students who do pay an unknown amount for tuition, and $250 each as monthly stipends, you should be able to work out how much we send to Cuba yearly, not forgetting the 250+ Cuban doctors ?helping? us to offset our low doctor-to-patient ratio.
Sadly, this ?plenty money? you calculated, at least the part that should go to the students as stipends is noted for not arriving on time, especially during the last few years. It is currently a problem, it has delayed for months. Imagine there is hullabaloo back at home about our coming here, yet the money that is even causing this argument is nowhere to be found!? I wonder where money that has been budgeted goes to while Ghanaians abroad sent by Ghana are suffering.? If you haven?t lived in a communist country that is under economic blockade from the U.S.A., you may not appreciate what suffering is.? The most unfortunate part of the issue is that, although it looks like Ghana is finding it difficult to maintain her scholarship students in Cuba (and maybe some other countries), she has enough money to change the fleet of cars at her embassy, although all the apparently old ones are in better conditions than the ones that our hosts who will be training us have! How can it be that our country puts such material things as car before her citizens? Is this country worth dying for?
The problem is not the country. The problem is the people we elect to represent us. It?s rather unfortunate a lot of them went to school, and they like wearing ?coat and tie?. If not our woes would have been worse. This gives a bad name to a lot of our institutions. In the very short time of our stay here, I?ve noticed that many a times, we don?t even want others to know we?re Ghanaians. Our problems are obvious to everyone, and it?s still more obvious that our government doesn?t give a damn. How sad. It?s like we?re being told we?re on our own.
My only wish is that, whoever we elect us our leader this time round should have good negotiation skills because it looks like as at now, all those who represent us suddenly become deaf-and-dumb when they are meeting with foreigners, especially if the foreigner has a different skin tone. They simply can?t put Ghana first.
Defend the good name of Ghana.
Sylence Dogwood.
