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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has cut the sod for the second phase of construction works on the main University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) Campus in Ho.

The 68-million-dollar China Aid Phase Two project will provide fully equipped state-of-the-art Administration Block, School of Nursing and Midwifery, classrooms, offices, libraries, and laboratories to mitigate the infrastructure challenges of the University, since its establishment in 2012.

President Akufo-Addo, who was on a working visit to the Region, said the University had persisted and continued to prove its worth with countless achievements and assured of government’s readiness to help it expand.

“Even though it is a young University, already, its receiving lots of laurels and accolades and rankings…therefore, there is the need for the Government to ensure the infrastructure is at the measure of the University,” he said.

President Akufo-Addo said China continued to hold firm her friendship with Ghana, which would continue to grow into progressive partnerships.

“It gives me the opportunity to express once again, the strong appreciation of the Government and the people of Ghana to the Government of the People’s Republic of China. The solidarity the Chinese Government and people continue to exhibit towards us is something that, Mr Ambassador, we appreciate very much indeed,” he said.

“The various things that makeup Ghana’s Foreign Policy to China are well known. We are not deviating and we will not deviate from the One China Policy. It continues to be an important cornerstone of the Foreign Policy of our country.”

The President recognized the University’s role in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, saying it was a testing centre for the region and surrounding areas.

Mr Lu Kun, the Chinese Ambassador, said the development would aid the school’s advancement to provide more professionals to sustain the government's bold health delivery initiative; Agenda 111.

“China and Africa will embark on a long journey of collaborations based on the One China principle,” he said.

Mr Lu said the collaboration had long flourished in education and would be expanded to other areas, adding: “China will always remain Ghana’s ultimate friend and partner.”

As a partner in the fight against the coronavirus, China would work with Ghana to secure the much-needed vaccines, he said.

Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, the Education Minister, said the project showed government's commitment to expanding tertiary education intake to help meet the country’s educational needs.

He said the coronavirus pandemic made it more crucial to prioritize educational demands and expressed the hope that the project would be timeously delivered.

Chinese Nantong Si Jian Construction Company is executing the project within a 22-month period, and the Government of Ghana will provide road infrastructure and other inputs as part of a counterpart-funding component.