GHANA PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS FOUNDATION

The 12th annual conference for Ghanaian Healthcare Professionals organized by the Ghana Physicians and Surgeons Foundation of North America (GPSF) took place at the Renaissance Concourse Atlanta Airport Hotel, Atlanta in Georgia from April 25 - 27, 2014. There were over 120 conference attendees. The theme was “Towards Healthcare Overhaul in Africa: A Dialogue between Health Professionals on the Continent and in the Diaspora”. In his welcome address, the outgoing president of the Foundation, Dr. Raphael Buckle, said the dream of every Ghanaian physician in the diaspora is to return home someday. This dream journey home is often derailed by several factors; most notably by bureaucratic bottlenecks one encounters on the road to Ghana. “The road conditions have been rough but we have resolved that we shall one day complete that journey”. He charged physicians in the diaspora to be continually inspired by the late US President J. F. Kennedy’s inaugural statement, ‘… ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country’.  In our unique circumstances, we are aware of what our country has done for us and we honestly seek to find ways to give back to our country.

 

Ghana, like most developing nations, has been hard hit by the brain-drain of its medical and other professionals. Ghanaian physicians, like Ghanaian  athletes, have been very competitive internationally, but their success abroad should not become a "loss" to the country. In soccer, for example, the Soccer authorities have found a way to mitigate this 'loss"  by continuing to to engage Ghanaian players abroad. The Ghana Black Stars continue to rely on both its local and international players for successful missions that have brought national pride to all Ghanaians and this model can be replicated by the Ghana Health authorities.  Several Ghanaian physicians in the diaspora have charted this course with varying degrees of success in the face of seemingly unsurmountable obstacles and frustrations. To get a better perspective of the current state of healthcare delivery in Ghana, the GPSF organized this year’s conference to initiate an honest and actionable dialogue, between physicians in the diaspora and healthcare stakeholders in Ghana, in an effort to examine health care challenges our dear country faces and together find workable solutions.

 

The keynote address on the current state of healthcare delivery in Ghana was given by Dr. Kenneth Sagoe on behalf of the Minister of Health, Hon. Madam Sherry Ayittey. He shared with the group the successes and achievements to date and also outlined challenges; some of which will require expertise and contributions from the diaspora. This year’s special guest speaker, Mr. Kofi Tutu Agyare, an investment banker, gave an outstanding outsiders view on the state of healthcare delivery in Ghana. He challenged the GPSF and Ghanaian physicians in the diaspora to seize the opportunity the conference has provided to help improve the health status of the average Ghanaian citizen who has no access to decent healthcare. Prof. Ofori-Adjei, Rector of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, commended the Foundation for supporting the mission of the College and gave an update on the College’s efforts at making subspecialty care available to all Ghanaians. The scientific presentations were well received and rated as relevant to the advertised theme of the conference.

 

The highlights of the conference were two symposia led by panels of invited speakers and with active audience participation. The first symposium discussed the challenges of healthcare delivery in Ghana and the panelists included Dr. Kwabena Adusei-Opoku (President of Ghana Medical Association); Dr. Ebenezer Appiah-Denkyira (Director General of Ghana Health Service); Prof. David Ofori-Adjei (Rector of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons); and Dr. Ralph Ametepi (Commander of Medical Services at 37 Military Hospital, Accra). The discussions focused on relevant topics including the state of formal health education in primary and secondary schools; What are the barriers to reaching all the citizenry with basic primary health care; Is our current medical training model still relevant to the healthcare needs of Ghana;  Why is it that all health care improvement indicators of Ghana seem to plateau or lag behind in comparison to neighboring countries;  Is any attention being paid to environmental sanitation, occupational exposures, and road traffic accidents; What are the remaining hurdles (social, political, scientific, etc.) that keeps Ghana from effective implementation of healthcare delivery from provider and client perspectives.

 

The second Symposium discussed opportunities and solutions to healthcare challenges in Ghana. The panelists were Mr. Kofi Tutu Agyare  (Nubuke Investments, London, UK); Dr. Ebenezer Appiah Denkyira (Director General of Ghana Health Service); Dr. Gilbert Buckle ( CEO of Christian Health Association of Ghana); Prof. Tim Johnson (Professor and Chairman of Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Michigan); and Dr. Kenneth Sagoe(Consultant Ministry of Health, Ghana). This session examined innovative medical training models that will better suit the Ghanaian situation; strategies for shifting the focus to non-communicable chronic diseases without reversing the progress made towards combating infectious disease; the importance of developing a maintenance culture in our healthcare facilities;  innovative healthcare financing models and how to align political, social and healthcare agenda for Ghana. There were also discussions on innovations and suggestions for formal health education in primary and secondary schools; potential solutions to environmental sanitation, occupational health risks, and road traffic accidents; the role of Public Private Partnership in healthcare delivery in Ghana; and the need to cultivate and sustain professionalism among healthcare providers in Ghana.

 

On the question of how health professionals in the Diaspora can help with healthcare delivery in Ghana. The Ghana Diaspora Medical Corps, a novel Presidential initiative that would make it easier for physicians in the diaspora to help in providing needed specialty and subspecialty care to all Ghanaians, was discussed. The ministerial committee on the Ghana Diaspora Medical Corps, represented by Ms. Emelia Arthur (Office of the President) and Dr. Kenneth Sagoe (Office of the Minister of Health and Chairman of the Committee), presented the framework for the initiative and the timetable for its launching. This initiative was well received by the GPSF membership and all conference attendees and it generated lively discussion that resulted in several suggestions to improve the initiative. Members were impressed with the rapid progress made with this initiative since inception and an official launch is anticipated in the summer. The incoming GPSF President, Dr. Nathaniel Lawson, affirmed his support for the initiative and pledged that the Foundation will work towards the success of the project.