Ghana Health Conference Ends in Pretoria

CONFERENCE RESOLUTIONS

Dr. Agyemang Badu Akosah, Director General of Ghana Health Services and Dr. Moses Dani Baah, Ghana's Deputy Minister of Health, joined GCG Africa at the Ghana Conference on Health and Development, hosted in Pretoria on March 22, 2003. The conference delegates made the following commitments after the successful event.

(1) Renovate Children's and Maternity Wards (one floor each) at the Komfo Anokye and Korle Bu Teaching Hospitals.

(2) Enroll three biomedical technicians from Ghana in internship programs in South African companies dealing with medical equipment maintenance and operations.

(3) Sponsor a six-month advanced medical training program in South Africa for four Ghanaian physicians at a time

The Pretoria conference followed similar events hosted by GCG at Harvard University (March 1) and Columbia University (March 15). Many thanks to special delegates from Ghana, Dr. Agyemang Badu Akosah, Director General of Ghana Health Services, and Dr. Moses Dani Baah, Deputy Minister of Health for joining us on that historic occasion and sharing with us the state of healthcare delivery in Ghana. We are pleased with the high turnout of Ghanaian physicians in Johannesburg and Pretoria. Impressively, colleagues who could not join us on March 22nd sent their apologies and support.

GCG South Africa committed to renovate Children's and Maternity Wards (one floor each) at the Komfo Anokye and Korle Bu Teaching Hospitals. We also pledged to sponsor a six-month advanced medical training for four (4) Ghanaian physicians at a time in South Africa. In response to reports that Ghana has only one aged biomedical engineer, GCG South Africa pledged to enroll three (3) biomedical technicians from Ghana in internship programs in South African companies dealing with medical equipment maintenance and operations. Implementation of this resolution would begin as soon as the Ministry of Health approves the deal and the first group of interns arrives in South Africa.

Besides the primary objective of helping to rebuild Ghanaian hospitals, this conference was great in bringing Ghanaian professionals in South Africa together. After introduction of special guests from Accra, the Ghana High Commissioner to South Africa delivered the opening address. Dr. Moses Dani Baah, Ghana's Deputy Minister of Health followed with a brief statement and invited Dr. Agyemang Badu Akosah, Director General of Ghana Health Services to share more updates on the state of healthcare delivery in Ghana.

Prof. Akosah's presentation covered the entire healthcare system in Ghana, with the accuracy of a laser guided missile. This powerful delivery, which moved everyone to contribute to Ghana's reconstruction efforts, preceded a video documentary on Korle-Bu and Komfo Anokye.

We formed a committee to lead the Korle-Bu and Komfo Anokye Fundraising project. GCG Africa communicated the conference resolutions to Ghanaians living in other parts of South Africa who missed the event and urged them to start mobilizing funds for the project. Dr. Akosah is scheduled to submit a comprehensive proposal, showing Cost Estimates Detail of the project to help us set fundraising targets and determine the minimum amount that each willing Ghanaian would contribute. Dr. Akosah and Dr. Baah were full of praise for the GCG initiative and promised to link up with the GCG headquarters in New York when they visit the United States in May.

Panelists and delegates at the conference in Pretoria were very professional in their deliberation on practical resolutions to address these principal health issues and I'm hopeful that GCG associates in Canada, Europe and Australia would build on this foundation as they prepare to host similar events in Toronto, London, Melbourne and other big cities.