Ghana’s 1st female heart surgeon named best cardiologist in West Africa

Dr Penelope Adinku, Ghana’s first female heart surgeon, has reportedly been named the best cardiologist in West Africa.

According to broadcaster Nana Aba Anamoah, Dr Penelope Adinku was adjudged the 2022 Best Candidate in Cardiothoracic Surgery in West Africa.

In a post shared on Facebook, on Friday, March 24, 2025, Nana Aba described Dr Adinku as a true woman of valour.

“Ghana’s first female Cardiothoracic (heart) Surgeon @penelopeadinku has just been crowned the 2022 Best Candidate in Cardiothoracic Surgery in West Africa.

“I’m super proud of you @penelopeadinku. You’re a true woman of valour… Thanks for inspiring us,” parts of the post read.

About Dr Penelope Adinku

Dr Penelope Baabe Tettey Adinku is the first Ghanaian female cardiothoracic surgeon after she joined the field of her love for children.

She currently works as a medical doctor at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and she is also a senior specialist at the National Cardiothoracic Centre, Korle-Bu.

Dr Adinku performed her first open-heart surgery at the Cardiothoracic Centre in May 2022.

Aside from her love for children, Dr Penelope Baabe Tettey Adinku decided to go into the field of investment because of Dr Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, a Ghanaian physician and cardiothoracic surgeon, who established the National Cardiothoracic Centre at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in the early 1990s.

The establishment aims to help patients dealing with heart conditions.

Speaking in an interview, Dr Adinku said her quest to find out more about the centre led her to pursue a career in that field.

She said even though the bias is there, women have to work harder to be visible.

“It is a male-dominated field and males are generally accepted to be the surgeons. For us as females, I think we have had to work harder to prove ourselves. The bias is there, and we have to work harder to make ourselves more visible,” AssaseRadio.com quoted Dr Adinku.

“Sometimes when I’m walking with my husband, who is not a doctor, but I have a stethoscope around my neck, he’s referred to as the doctor and I’m just ignored. So the bias is out there.

“I’m hoping [that] with this barrier out of the way, more females will enter this space, and it will actually be a norm,” Dr Adinku said.

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