President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, has officially opened the 66th Annual Conference of the West African College of Surgeons (WACS), issuing a strong call for urgent and sustained investment in surgical capacity to improve health outcomes across West Africa.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, President Mahama underscored the central role of surgery in healthcare delivery, describing it as essential not only to saving lives but also to preserving dignity and boosting economic productivity. He stressed that building surgical capacity must go beyond increasing the number of trained surgeons to strengthening health systems as a whole, including multidisciplinary teams, governance frameworks, infrastructure, and equitable access to quality surgical care.
The conference, held under the theme “Capacity Building in Surgery for Improved Health Outcomes in West Africa,” brings together surgeons, medical professionals, researchers, policymakers, and health stakeholders from across the sub-region and beyond to deliberate on strategies for advancing surgical care.
President Mahama reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to improving surgical training, expanding specialist healthcare services, and investing in modern health infrastructure to support complex surgical interventions. In recognition of his contributions to surgical development and health sector advancement, the President was honoured as the Grand Patron and an Honorary Fellow of the West African College of Surgeons.
The Minister for Health, Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, in his address, emphasised that surgery is a critical pillar of effective health systems and should not be treated as an optional service. He noted that the delivery of safe and effective surgical care depends on comprehensive system readiness, including reliable infrastructure, adequate blood services, functional intensive care units, modern diagnostics, and strong clinical governance structures.
Commending WACS for its leadership in promoting global best practices through regional collaboration, the Minister revealed that a surgical outreach programme organised as part of the conference successfully delivered 855 surgeries across 11 hospitals in six regions of Ghana, significantly improving access to life-saving care for underserved communities.
Addressing the persistent challenge of health worker migration, Hon. Akandoh called for improved working conditions, clearly defined career progression pathways, and stronger engagement with Ghana’s medical diaspora as key strategies to retain and attract skilled health professionals.
The 66th WACS Conference is expected to deepen regional cooperation, promote innovation in surgical education and practice, and chart a sustainable path toward improved surgical care and better health outcomes for millions of people across West Africa.
