On Tuesday afternoon, July 1st, 2025—a day of national significance as Ghana celebrates its transition into a Republic—the Executive Council of the Ghana Pharmaceutical Students’ Association (GPSA), KNUST, led by President Delali Kwabla Agbemaka, paid a courtesy visit to the Director of the Directorate of Student Affairs (DoSA), Professor Marian Asantewah Nkansah, affectionately known among students as “the mother of all students.”
This official engagement served a threefold purpose: to formally introduce the executive council to the Director, provide a brief account of their accomplishments thus far, and outline their vision for the remainder of their tenure. The dialogue was characterized by mutual respect and shared enthusiasm for student development, with particular focus on the upcoming celebration of GPSA-KNUST’s 64th Anniversary, which will also serve as a stepping stone to pre-launch the 65th anniversary.
In presenting the anniversary roadmap, President Delali emphasized a desire to involve alumni from across the association’s six-decade history. This, he noted, would allow current students to glean diverse experiences and perspectives on life after Pharmacy school. He also shared a series of planned initiatives centered around capacity building and public health engagement—including the Patient Counselling and Compounding Event, a blood donation and screening exercise, and a Mini Drug Safety Campaign.
Professor Nkansah, visibly impressed by the council’s strategic outlook, lauded their commitment to service and particularly expressed her keen interest in the community outreach initiatives. She commended the efforts of the Health Officer, Ms. Sakina Sambo Martey, especially referencing GPSA’s impactful Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign in the Agona-Ashanti community.
Drawing from her own professional background—having worked as a chemist and served in a pharmacy for two years—Prof. Nkansah urged the team to infuse strong ethical advocacy into their Mini Drug Safety Campaign. She underscored the urgent need to address unethical practices within the pharmacy profession, stressing the importance of prioritizing patient well-being over profit.
“The challenge of drug abuse is partly as a result of a faulty ethical compass of some Pharmacy professionals which, unfortunately, often makes them prioritize profit over wellbeing and so I will encourage the executive council and especially the health team to, as much as possible, hammer on the need for Pharmacists and other custodians of medications to uphold professional ethics in their line of work and prioritize people over profit”.
Professor Marian Asantewah Nkansah
Her contributions were not only insightful but also deeply grounded in practical experience, and it was in this spirit that President Delali extended an informal invitation for her to attend the launch of the 64th Anniversary celebrations—a gesture she warmly received and expressed interest in honoring.
In all, the meeting reflected a shared vision of student leadership, ethical professionalism, and community impact. It signaled a promising collaboration between student leaders and university administration—one poised to deliver lasting value for both the Faculty and society at large.
Reported by – Larbi Benoni Odame