Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has commissioned the new Specialist Training Centre at Pantan, calling it a critical investment in specialist capacity and healthcare quality, while urging health institutions to prioritize public trust and transparency.

The facility, built at a cost of approximately US $3 million with support from the World Bank under the COVID-19 Emergency Preparedness and Response Programme.

  The event was themed “Excellence in Regulation, Infrastructure for Impact.”

“No agency should delay any completed facility just because it’s not been inaugurated,” Akandoh told dignitaries.

He said most projects visited three days prior were already in use, stressing that opening should not block service delivery.

He noted that as minister, his responsibility covers both health workers and citizens.

“We are building a system that the public must have trust in.

There are things we cannot sweep under the carpet.

It kills the trust and confidence in the system,” he said.

“We are accountable to the good people of this country… if the good people of this country must know, they should know.”

Akandoh described the centre as a milestone for specialist training, professional development, and quality healthcare delivery. He said COVID-19 showed that “health systems are ultimately only as strong as the people who serve within them,” and that knowledge, skills, and preparedness of health professionals determine outcomes.

The facility includes modern administrative offices, examination rooms, meeting and conference facilities, and infrastructure to support the Medical and Dental Council’s mandate.

It forms part of a larger vision for a comprehensive specialist training complex with expanded halls, hostel accommodation, and support services. Adequate land has been secured for future expansion.

With Ghana’s population growing and Non-Communicable Diseases like cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease increasing pressure on the system, Akandoh said the number of specialists remains inadequate.

He linked the centre directly to government’s Ghana Medical Trust Fund, popularly known as Mahama CARES, which aims to improve care for chronic conditions while investing in specialist capacity.

“Every specialist trained within these walls will contribute to better patient care, stronger institutions, improved healthcare outcomes, and a more resilient health system,” he said.

Acknowledging Ghana’s challenging fiscal environment, Akandoh assured the Medical and Dental Council that the Ministry of Health will continue advocating for the centre’s progressive development.

But he urged the board and management to think innovatively about long-term sustainability through strategic partnerships, research grants, conference hosting, and endowment funds.

He also charged leadership to make maintenance a core responsibility from day one. “Across the public sector, we have too often seen major investments deteriorate because maintenance was not treated as a priority,” he said.

Akandoh thanked the World Bank, the Medical and Dental Council, his predecessors , consultants, contractors, and all stakeholders. He then officially commissioned the Specialist Training Centre, Pantan, for use, praying it would “serve generations of healthcare professionals and contribute meaningfully to advancing healthcare in Ghana.”

At the opening, Dr. Divine N. Banyubala , Registrar, Medical and Dental Council said the new Specialist Training Centre and Head Office Complex represents a strategic investment in healthcare regulation, professional excellence, patient safety, and public trust. The project, supported by the World Bank, is the single largest investment in medical and dental regulation infrastructure since independence.

He said the Medical and Dental Council plays an indispensable role in ensuring practitioners are competent, ethical, accountable, and committed to high standards. The facility will enhance the Council’s ability to deliver on its mandate and serve as a center of excellence for health professions regulation in Ghana and beyond.

Banyubala noted Ghana’s growing international recognition in regulation, with the country selected to host the 28th Annual Scientific Conference of the Association of Medical Councils of Africa from 23-27 August 2026. The International Association of Medical Regulatory Authorities, with WHO, will also hold its first training program at the conference.

“The true measure of this facility’s success will not be found in its architecture, but in the quality of regulation it supports, the standards it upholds, the professionals it guides, the patients it protects, and the confidence it inspires,” he said.

He thanked the Minister of Health, Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, and the World Bank for their support, and said Phase 2 of the project will further strengthen professional oversight when completed.

Both speakers emphasized that institutions and democratic systems must translate into tangible improvements for citizens. Addy called for collective responsibility under Article 41 of the Constitution, while Banyubala said strong regulation must match investments in healthcare infrastructure to advance universal health coverage and the government’s health sector reforms.