Inguinal hernia remains a significant cause of morbidity in Ghana, often resulting in high emergency cases due to delays in treatment.

Dr Godfred Owusu, General Surgeon at Ankaase Methodist Faith Hospital, stated that many hernia complications are primarily due to a lack of regular hospital check-ups and stressed the importance of routine health assessments.

He was speaking to the Ghana News Agency during a free screening and surgical treatment for hernia patients at the facility in Ankaase, Afigya-Kwabre South district of Ashanti. The exercise, organised by the Methodist Health Trust, provides hernia treatment across its facilities at Ankaase, Aburaso, and Apagya hospitals.

Over 800 patients have benefited from the exercise across the three facilities. The intervention, started three years ago, aims to assist individuals with chronic hernia cases and reduce the backlog of patients needing surgical care.

Owusu noted that the exercise, initially scheduled for one week, had to be extended to a month due to the high demand.

He said the initiative improves healthcare access for economically disadvantaged individuals while helping to reduce the burden of hernia-related conditions in Ghana.

He expressed satisfaction that all surgeries conducted so far have been successful and remained hopeful that future procedures would be equally effective.

Gloria Agyeiwaa Osei Boateng, Nurse Manager at the facility, warned against the use of unverified herbal remedies to treat hernia, noting that reliance on such treatments can complicate conditions and make surgical procedures more difficult.

As of March 6, 2026, the Ankaase hospital alone has performed over 200 surgeries, while the Aburaso and Apagya hospitals have also recorded significant numbers. About 30 percent of the procedures were conducted on women.

Osei Boateng called on the government, through the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), to fully subsidise hernia treatment for affected individuals.

Many patients who underwent surgeries expressed gratitude to the Methodist Health Trust and hope that similar initiatives will continue to benefit others in the future.



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