The University of Cape Coast has won this year's Inter-Medical School Public Speaking Competition. 

This year's competition was organised to promote psychiatry as a career option for medical students in the country.

The School of Medical Sciences at the University of Cape Coast emerged winners beating off competition from the University of Ghana, the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and the University for Development studies.

The victory by the University of Cape Coast Medical School brings to five the number of times the school has won the competition since its inception eight years ago.

Addressing the competitors after the debate, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, Prof. Joseph Ghartey-Ampiah commended the debaters for their oratory prowess, their passion and their knowledge-driven presentations.

He advised the students to take interest in debates since it employs skills that are the lifeline to democracy and society building.

 

Medical director of the Ankaful Psychiatric Hospital, Dr. Kwadwo Obeng Marfo, praised the organizers of the competition for their great organizational skills which he says has yielded some positive results in whipping the interest of medical students in psychiatry.

"Year after year, you see young medical students coming to this program and making a passionate debate about mental health issues. This program has managed to inspire passion in young medical students and I know this passion is going to convert them into psychiatrists,” he praised.

The University of Cape Coast emerged winners with 86 points while the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology placed second with 82.5 points.

The University of Ghana Medical School snatched the third position with 82 points with the University for Development Studies placing fourth with 72.5 points.

The winners of the competition would spend four weeks at the St Patrick’s University Hospital in Ireland for an exchange programme in Psychiatry as their prize.

The theme for the Eighth Competition was “Child Sexual Abuse in Ghana: The Extent of the Problem, Consequence and Proposed Solutions”.

The annual competition is sponsored by the St. Patrick’s Mental Health Services in Dublin, Ireland with support from Vincent Agyapong Foundation, University of Alberta, UK Aid, the Ministry of Health, Ghana and Mental Health Authority, Ghana.