President John Mahama has received the report of a Transition Committee set up to guide the transfer of the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) from the Ministry of Health back to the University of Ghana, a move intended to realign the facility with its original academic and research mandate.
The report was presented on Tuesday, 10 February. President Mahama said it would be forwarded to Cabinet for final consideration and implementation, commending the committee for completing its work within the agreed timeframe.
UGMC, he noted, was established as Ghana’s highest level referral hospital, designed to deliver advanced medical care while supporting training and research.
Historical Timelines
The idea behind the centre dates back to 1964, when the University of Ghana first proposed the creation of a “medical village” as part of its long-term development strategy. The modern project began in March 2011, when the late President John Evans Atta-Mills cut the sod for construction.
Work on the first phase started in 2013 and the facility was commissioned in January 2017 by President Mahama. However, disagreements over management arrangements between the University of Ghana and the Ministry of Health delayed full operations, and only limited services began in July 2018 during the administration of Nana Akufo-Addo.
A second phase of construction, which began in 2019, expanded the centre’s specialist capacity. The project was completed in December 2021, with UGMC becoming fully operational in March 2022.
Resetting
In July 2025, a Transitional Management Committee was inaugurated to oversee the return of the centre’s management to the University of Ghana. The committee is co-chaired by Professor Aaron Lawson, a former Provost of the College of Health Sciences.
Today, UGMC operates as a quaternary-level facility, providing the most advanced forms of specialised care in the country. The hospital has an estimated capacity of about 1,000 beds, up from the original 650 delivered under the first phase. The total cost of development is estimated at 217 million US dollars, financed through loans from the Government of Israel.
The centre’s work is organised around three main pillars: clinical services, medical training and simulation, and medical and scientific research.
A Quartenary Specialist Center
Clinically, UGMC houses a dedicated cardiology institute with a catheterisation laboratory, cardiac intensive care unit, and services for cardiac ablation and cardiothoracic surgery. It also operates 12 advanced operating theatres supporting neurosurgery, urology and minimally invasive laparoscopic procedures, including Ghana’s first gastric sleeve surgeries.
Specialist centres include oncology and haematology services with day-care treatment and a cytotoxics pharmacy, as well as a reproductive medicine and IVF institute with its own laboratories and operating theatre. Advanced diagnostic services are supported by high-resolution MRI and CT scanners and newer imaging technologies. The facility also hosts Ghana’s first human milk bank, providing screened donor breast milk for vulnerable newborns.
Beyond clinical care, UGMC has been positioned as a hub for research and training. Its medical and scientific research centre conducts clinical trials and health innovation projects, including collaborations with Washington University in St. Louis on HIV cure research. The hospital also works with the American College of Surgeons and the West African College of Surgeons to support specialist surgical training.
Training is delivered through a dedicated medical training and simulation centre, which uses high-fidelity manikins and computer-based simulations to prepare health professionals in a controlled environment. A diaspora engagement office supports Ghanaian and African health experts abroad to return for short-term teaching and research assignments.
The Transition Committee’s report recommends a 10-year transition period to gradually reduce reliance on government subventions, alongside the introduction of performance-based leadership contracts to strengthen accountability and long-term sustainability. The proposed transfer is expected to deepen UGMC’s integration into medical education and research and reinforce its role as a national centre for advanced healthcare delivery.
