Parliament’s Select Committee on Health has applauded the Entrance University of Health Sciences and Entrance Pharmaceuticals (formerly Tobinco Pharmaceuticals) for their expanding contributions to medical training, research, and local pharmaceutical production.
The commendation came during a working visit led by the Committee Chairman, Hon. Kurt Nawaane, on Thursday, November 6.
The visit forms part of Parliament’s oversight mandate to assess institutions driving Ghana’s health sector transformation. Such engagements help the Committee to monitor key institutions supporting medical education, research, and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
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He praised Entrance University for demonstrating how academic excellence and industrial innovation can support national development. According to him, the institution’s programmes align with Ghana’s broader goals of health security, essential drug self-sufficiency, and job creation.
The Founder and Chancellor of the Entrance University of Health Sciences, Dr. Samuel Amo Tobbin, highlighted the university’s progress, noting that it remains the only private university in Ghana offering dentistry and the first to run the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) programme.
He explained that the Tobinco Group’s investments in pharmaceuticals and health education were motivated by a desire to create opportunities for Ghanaian youth and curb dangerous migration trends.
“We’ve invested in all this because of our love for our mother Ghana and for preventing our young ones from travelling abroad, where some even lose their lives,” he said.
Dr. Amo Tobbin acknowledged the support of the EXIM Bank under former President John Dramani Mahama, which enabled the transition of the company from wholesale and retail operations to full-scale pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Dr. Amo Tobbin raised a pressing concern regarding large unpaid debts owed by neighbouring West African countries that procure medicines from Entrance Pharmaceuticals.
“Burkina, Mali, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Togo, Benin, Gambia — they are all owing us. They owe us a lot of money,” he said.
He appealed to the Committee to convey his plea to the President for diplomatic intervention, warning that the delays continue to strain local pharmaceutical producers.
The founder also expressed concern about the challenges faced by Ghanaian medical students studying abroad, particularly in Eastern Europe. He urged the Committee to advise GETFund to channel its resources into supporting local universities instead of sponsoring students overseas.
“GETFund should not channel funds to students overseas. Rather, let the money stay in Ghana by giving these students to our local medical universities,” he said.
Entrance University, he emphasized, is committed to strengthening Ghana’s health sector through advanced medical training and expanded pharmaceutical manufacturing. The institution currently trains doctors, dentists, nurses, and pharmacists, making it one of the country’s leading private health universities.
The President of the University, Professor Nii Lante Lawson, reaffirmed the institution’s pioneering role.
“It’s now the only private university in Ghana offering dentistry and the first to offer the Doctor of Pharmacy programme,” he said.
He announced that admissions are currently open and encouraged Ghanaian youth interested in health professions to apply.
The Committee members later toured the university’s teaching facilities, departments, and the laboratories of Entrance Pharmaceuticals as part of their oversight assignment.