Accra, June 10, GNA - Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Wednesday commended the Cuban

Government for offering scholarships to Ghanaian students to undertake courses in various disciplines. He said that "Since 1982, the Cuban Government has continuously offere d various scholarships to

Ghanaian students, who have come back to Ghana to increase our working fo rce in all sectors of

Development." Vice President Mahama, who was addressing the first ever congress on

public health for both

Ghanaian and Cuban Medical Brigade, said that apart from clinical practic es, the Cuban doctors had been

supportive in all the outreach programmes of Ghana Health Service. The Congress which attracted all Regional and some Municipal and Metropolitan Directors would

among other issues share experiences from their Cuban counterparts and fo rge ahead for future

cooperation. Vice President Mahama appealed to all heads of health institutions to

cooperate with their Cuban

counterparts by offering them hospitality to encourage them to put up the ir best. He announced that Ghana Government was working hard to strengthen its

ties with the Cuban

Government to increase the number of exchange programmes under the agreem ent signed between the

two countries in 1982. The Vice President called on the Ministry of Health to intensify its educational and outreach

programmes on communicable diseases to reduce the high rate of infant and

maternal mortality. Dr. Koku Awoonor-Williams, Upper East Regional Director of Health Service, said only nine out of a

total of 43 doctors posted to the region had reported and called for the improvement in official and

residential accommodation to attract health professionals into the region .. He said Ghana/s desire to provide quality health care would not be achieved if health professionals

were not adequately catered for in terms of salaries and other conditions of service. Mr. Kofi Portuphy, National Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organization, called on

the Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service to step up their sensitization programmes to rid the

country of malaria and other childhood diseases.