The West Africa College of Surgeons (WACS) has inducted President John Dramani Mahama as the grand patron of the 66th Annual Conference of the college.
As part of the ceremony, he was also presented with a plaque and a certificate at the college’s ongoing conference in Accra yesterday on the theme: ‘Capacity Building in Surgery.’
The honour was in recognition of President Mahama’s support for the college and health care delivery over the years.
Accepting the honour, President Mahama commended the surgeons for the profession they’ve chosen, which he said has saved many lives.
According to him, the theme for the conference was apt as capacity building remains the only way to sharpen the skill of surgeons to meet current realities.
“It is not only about producing more surgeons. It’s equally about strengthening the teams and the systems that support safe surgery, including anesthesia, nursing, diagnostics, blood services, sterile supply chains, critical care, and reliable referral pathways,” he outlined.
“In building capacity, inclusion must be central. Gender equity in surgical training and leadership is not only a matter of fairness, but also a practical necessity for stronger, more resilient health systems,” he added.
Whilst capacity building is important, the President said steps must be put in place to stop the exodus of practitioners to other parts of the world for greener pastures, putting pressure on the health systems.
“Our response must be deliberate and practical, improving working conditions, strengthening career pathways, enhancing professional recognition, and creating environments in which health workers can thrive and choose to serve, while also developing structured avenues to engage the expertise of professionals in the diaspora,” he explained.
Committing Ghana to strengthening these foundations, President Mahama emphasised that government would carefully study the recommendations coming out of the conference and work with stakeholders to implement those that require immediate action while developing structured pathways for longer-term reforms.
The need to expand and upgrade health infrastructure across the region, though nonnegotiable, he noted, has been hampered by fiscal constraints, further underlining the need for sustainable and innovative financing and service delivery models.
Here in Ghana, President Mahama stressed, to ensure universal access to quality health care, government was implementing the Ghana Medical Trust Fund to ensure that illnesses do not lead to avoidable hardship for families.
The fund supports treatment for priority conditions, including cancers, chronic kidney disease, and cardiovascular diseases—conditions that impose heavy clinical and financial burdens on families and health systems alike.
It is also structured to strengthen the supply of specialist care, and beyond financing treatment, a defined portion of the resources in this fund are allocated to training specialist doctors.
“In doing so, we’re not only responding to today’s needs, but also deliberately investing in the specialist workforce required for timely, safe, and high-quality care in the years ahead,” he added.
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
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