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Ghanaian medical students in Cuba cry for help over 17-month stipend delay
The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) in Cuba has appealed to President John Mahama to intervene in what they describe as a crisis facing Ghanaian medical students studying in the country.
The executives said their colleagues had not received their stipends for the past 17 months and had also been denied book allowances for five consecutive years.
They explained that despite repeated appeals to the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat, no meaningful response had been received.
According to the students, worsening economic conditions in Cuba had made life unbearable.
They noted that inflation was high, basic necessities were scarce, and the cost of living had become very difficult to manage.
The executives reported that students were sometimes forced to skip meals, while others survived on bread and water.
They indicated that some of the food available was of poor quality, with flies and maggots in them.
They further stated that many students walked between 10 and 15 kilometres daily to attend lectures and clinical rotations because they could not afford public transport.
They said internet access, which was essential for academic work, had become unaffordable, leaving students academically isolated.
Without book allowances, they explained, students had to rely on outdated materials and photocopies, which compromised the quality of their education.
The union revealed that some students had fainted during clinical duties due to hunger and exhaustion.
They also noted that mental health challenges, including anxiety and depression, were becoming more common.
According to the executives, needy students were suffering humiliation and anxiety as a result of debts owed to foreign colleagues.
They described the situation as not just financial but a humanitarian emergency, stressing that these students were future doctors who were now struggling to survive.
The NUGS Cuba executives called on President Mahama to urgently ensure the immediate disbursement of stipends, restore book allowances, and establish a sustainable system to prevent such delays in future.
They expressed hope that the President would act swiftly, saying this was a moment to restore hope and show that Ghana stood by her children even when they were far from home.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Medical Doctor and dietician, Dr Bernice Korkor Asare, has urged women to take greater responsibility for their lifestyle choices, particularly their eating habits and levels of physical activity, to help reduce their risk of developing breast cancer.
According to her, although, some breast cancer risk factors, such as family history and certain reproductive factors, may not be within an individual’s control, lifestyle choices offer an opportunity for people to take preventive action.
She made this known during a talk on the topic: “Role of diet in breast cancer prevention” organised by Times Ladies Association of the New Times Corporation, publishers of The Ghanaian Times and The Spectator, in Accra on Thursday.
The event themed “Breast Cancer Awareness- Promoting Early Detection, Healthy Eating and Prevention.” 
She noted that having a risk factor did not automatically mean a person would develop breast cancer, but could increase the likelihood of developing the disease compared with someone without that particular risk factor.
“Having close relatives who have had breast cancer, particularly a mother, sister or daughter, may increase the risk, although not everyone with a family history will develop the disease,” Dr Asare opined. Read More.
By Adizatu K. Munkaila
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A group of compassionate friends from Innovation Gospel Impact last Friday visited the management, teachers and learners of the Street Academy in Accra.
The visit was to interact to get a deeper insight into the operations of the Academy that houses hundreds of street and underprivileged children and find ways to support them.
The team was led by Rev. Dr Isaac Apenteng Yeboah, a former Director for West African Mailbox Club and Director for Prisons Support Foundation, and Rev. Dale Sutherland from Washington DC.
The call, according to the visitors was occasioned by reports about the struggles of the Academy despite the occasional support it enjoys from individuals and some corporate entities.
Briefing them, the Founder and Executive Director of the Academy, Dr Ataa Lartey, thanked them for the concern showed, indicating that “this is a major boost for both teachers and learners; knowing that their plight is known by people outside their premises.”
According Dr Lartey, the Academy had planned to undertake a number of project to enhance teaching and learning and also procure facilities for the children with keen interest in sports but had to shelve those plans for lack of finance.
He told the team that their biggest concerns were the monthly utility bills that takes a toll on their finances.
“We have a piece of land we planned to turn into an astro turf pitch to train the younger ones whose interests lies in making a career out of football, however, we have been unable to commence because there is no money now,” he said.
Dr Lartey expressed gratitude to the teachers who have dedicated their lives to training these children, rather than going for well-paying jobs and hoped that with time, their conditions of engagement would improve.
Moved by the plight of the Academy, the group donated a cash amount of Gh₵3,000 to settle its water bills.
They described as unfortunate the conditions of learners and teachers of the Academy and pledged to continuously support their operations to realize the dream to build a better future for the unfortunate children.
The group offered to support the school with its monthly utility bills, feeding and staff allowance and urged the Academy staff to remain in constant touch with them.
The Street Academy is located at the Accra Art Center and offers brilliant but needy the chance to pursue their educational dreams by enrolling them in public schools with others offered training in sports and cultural activities.
By Spectator Reporter
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