President John Dramani Mahama has disclosed that he used to routinely run out of the operating theatre whenever his wife was undergoing a caesarean section.
He shared this at the 66th Annual Conference of the West African Association of Surgeons (WAAS) held at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) on Monday, February 9, 2026, where he was conferred with the title as Grand Patron and also admitted as an honorary fellow of the association.
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“Let me thank you very much for the honour done me, but I wonder if I actually deserve to be a fellow of surgeons. My wife had to undergo several caesarean sections for all our children. As soon as the surgeon takes a knife and starts cutting, I run out of the operating theatre," he shared.
President Mahama also raised concerns about the migration of skilled health professionals, which he warned is weakening health systems across the continent.
He entreated African governments to take deliberate and practical steps to improve working conditions for health workers, stressing that retaining skilled professionals is essential to strengthening healthcare delivery.
The president also paid tribute to volunteer surgeons whose outreach services have brought relief and restored dignity to many patients across Ghana.
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He commended the college for its long-standing contribution to specialist training in the sub-region, noting that a significant number of surgeons currently serving across West Africa were trained under its programmes.
See the video of President John Dramani Mahama speaking about those experiences below:
🇬🇭 My wife, for all our children, had to go through C-sections. As soon as the surgeon starts cutting her stomach I run out of the theatre, so I wonder whether I really deserve this gown,’
— CDR AFRICA (@cdrafrica) February 9, 2026
- President John Dramani Mahama joked while speaking at the 66th Annual Conference of the… pic.twitter.com/XL7CZFDmJV
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