Cape Coast, Sep 16 (IANS): Ghana President John Dramani Mahama has complimented Indian-owned mobile telecom provider Airtel Ghana for financing an ultra-modern teaching facility and clinical centre for the School of Medical Science of the University of Cape Coast that has also enabled the upgradation of the Central Regional Hospital here into a teaching facility.

The project was started two years ago after a joint sod cutting by the late president John Evans Atta Mills and the CEO (International) and joint managing director of Bharti Airtel Ltd, Manoj Kohli. The company, however, declined to state how much it had spent on the project, which it had undertaken as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative.

President Mahama commended Airtel Ghana for funding the construction of the facility, adding that the company had been consistent with its contribution towards enhancement of education in the country.

The school runs courses in surgery, internal medicine, pediatrics and child health, and obstetrics/gynecology. These disciplines have sub-specialties such as ENT, ophthalmology, dermatology, medical imaging, anesthesia and pain management, psychiatry and orthopedics.

School Dean Harold S. Amonoo-Kuofi said the facilities funded by Airtel, together with the two-storey Diagnostics Centre, greatly helped in the decision to upgrade the Central Regional Hospital to a teaching hospital.

He also urged other corporates to follow the Airtel example and support the university in its drive to provide the human resource necessary to address the shortfall of doctors in the country, especially in the rural communities.

Airtel Ghana Managing Director Philip Sowah said the company decided to fund the project to fulfil one of its core values of creating a positive impact among the communities in which it operates.

"It has been our dream to be part of helping to develop the country's human resource," Sowah added.