Source: Priscilla Akorfa Fomevor
Representatives from the Health Community of West Africa Association (HCOWAA) and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) visited the Sichuan Vocational College of Health and Rehabilitation in Zigong City, China, on June 9th, 2025 to discuss academic collaboration and strengthen bilateral ties in healthcare education and training.
The tour, which highlights Ghana and China’s increasing medical partnership, intended to promote student and faculty exchanges, collaborative research efforts, and the sharing of best practices in nursing and healthcare education. The Ghanaian delegation toured the college’s cutting-edge facilities, which included a smart elderly care training base, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) culture popularization center, and sports rehabilitation training facilities. All of these facilities were praised for integrating industry and education.
During discussions from the launch of the HCOWAA Academic and Exchange Committee, which occurred on Monday, 12th May, 2025, both sides emphasized the importance of cross-border knowledge exchange in addressing healthcare challenges in West Africa. Dr. Lawrence Ofori-Boadu, Director of the Institutional Care Division of GHS, highlighted Ghana’s commitment to digital healthcare transformation and expressed interest in adopting China’s advancements in telemedicine, AI-assisted diagnostics, and nursing education models.
The Sichuan Vocational College of Health and Rehabilitation, with its century-long history in medical education, has been a pioneer in nursing and rehabilitation training, boasting a 92% employer satisfaction rate among its graduates.
The college’s leadership, including Vice-President Li Qin, welcomed the opportunity to collaborate with Ghanaian institutions in areas such as maternal healthcare training, a field where China has previously supported Ghana through programs like the 2015 Chengdu-based maternal health training for Ghanaian professionals.
This visit builds on existing Sino-Ghanaian healthcare collaborations, including North Sichuan Medical College’s training programs for Ghanaian medical students and the newly launched HCOWAA Medical & Academic Exchange Committee, which seeks to integrate Chinese medical expertise with Ghana’s healthcare system.
“This collaboration is not just about sharing knowledge—it’s about building a sustainable future for healthcare in Ghana through innovation and mutual learning,” said Mr. Prince Opoku Dogbey, the vice president of HCOWAA (Ghana), who represented HCOWA Association during the visit.
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