Ghana’s UHAS Receives 200 Laptops to Expand Digital Skills Training for Healthcare Students

The University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS)  in Ghana is preparing to expand technology-based learning for students after receiving 200 laptops under the government’s One Million Coders Programme (OMCP), aimed at equipping future healthcare professionals with digital skills alongside their clinical training.

The laptops were presented on Friday, October 16, 2026, by the Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, who highlighted the growing role of digital technologies in healthcare, including artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics, telemedicine and robotics.

He said healthcare professionals needed to combine clinical expertise with technological knowledge to keep pace with developments in medical practice.

“The medical field is changing very fast. Telemedicine is a big part of the world today, where you have doctors sitting in John Hopkins and carrying out surgery 7,000 miles across the ocean using robotic arms.”

– Samuel Nartey George, Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Ghana

George explained that the OMCP provides specialised, industry-aligned training in artificial intelligence, programming, data analytics and other emerging technologies. The programme is intended to complement conventional academic education and improve graduates’ preparedness for the modern workplace.

He commended UHAS for plans to incorporate selected OMCP learning pathways into student development activities and urged the university to ensure that students acquire relevant competencies before graduation.

Describing the 200 Lenovo laptops as an initial allocation, George said additional devices could be considered based on enrolment, usage and demonstrated demand. He encouraged the university to maximise the use of the equipment and promote student participation in the programme.

The minister also assured UHAS that the ministry would engage the National Communications Authority (NCA), the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC), the National Information Technology Agency (NITA) and telecommunications operators to explore ways to improve campus connectivity through additional cell sites and fibre-optic infrastructure.

The laptops are equipped with Intel Core i5 processors, 16GB of RAM, 512GB solid-state drive storage and Windows 11 operating systems. Fifty devices had already been configured and deployed in preparation for training, while the university had identified a 160-seat facility to support programme delivery.

Welcoming the minister and his delegation, UHAS Vice-Chancellor Prof. Lydia Aziato expressed appreciation for the support and reaffirmed the university’s commitment to Ghana’s digital development agenda.

She said suitable spaces had been identified across the university’s various schools to accommodate the equipment and facilitate student participation. Aziato added that selected OMCP learning pathways would complement professional health sciences training and help students develop competencies in digital literacy, data analytics and emerging technologies.

The initiative builds on UHAS’s growing interest in digital healthcare, following its recent hosting of an international conference on artificial intelligence in healthcare and pharmaceuticals. The conference brought together stakeholders to discuss the responsible adoption of AI in Africa.

The One Million Coders Programme is a flagship government initiative designed to equip Ghanaians with in-demand technology skills, improve employment opportunities, promote entrepreneurship and expand participation in the digital economy.

At UHAS, the immediate priorities are to prepare facilities, deploy the available equipment and enable students to access relevant training. The initiative is expected to lay the foundation for a healthcare workforce better equipped to apply emerging technologies in patient care and healthcare delivery.