College of Physicians and Surgeons honours Prof. Francis Nkrumah, Paul Nyame

The Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons has honoured two professors for their contribution to medical education and the growth of the health sector in the country. 

The two honourees, who received the 2023 Outstanding National and Global Leadership in Health Awards, were a former Director of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), Emeritus Prof. Francis Kwesi Nkrumah, and Prof. Paul Kwame Nyame, Board Chairman of the Ghana Medical and Dental Council. 

Event

The event formed part of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons’ 2023 annual leadership symposium on the theme: “Health sector development in Ghana: Exemplary leadership in research and medical education”.

In attendance included health practitioners, retired health professionals and students from across the country who celebrated the vision and work of the two professors.

Prof. Nkrumah

Emeritus Prof. Nkrumah, who was the longest serving director of NMIMR, was commended for his role in poliomyelitis eradication initiatives in Africa and for the various roles he played as founding member of the Pediatric Association of Ghana and the West African College of Physicians.

A citation, accompanying Prof. Nkrumah’s award, said his remarkable, dedicated and diligent leadership had contributed extensively to the development of the country’s health sector and training of public health experts. 

Prof. Nyame

Prof. Nyame was also extolled for facilitating the establishment of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons during the exodus of Ghanaian doctors which helped retain some of them in the country by providing them with postgraduate training opportunities.

He also became the founding rector of the college and initiated the planning and building of the accident and emergency block of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra when he was the Medical Director of the hospital.

Prof. Nyame was also celebrated for being the brain behind the establishment of the Cocoa clinic and for his visionary leadership when he was a Senior Registrar of the University of Ghana Medical School and later the acting Dean of students.

A citation in Prof. Nyame’s honour said his resilience, patriotism and ardent belief in quality medical education and practice had resulted in leaving blueprints in places he worked.

Reward system

A Professor at the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics of the University of Ghana Medical School, David Ofori Adjei, eulogised the two professors and said the nation should deliberately set up systems and processes to identify and reward selfless leaders.

Leadership, he said, was an important factor that determined successes or failures of establishments.

ood leadership, Prof. Adjei said, was necessary for the growth of the health sector and could be achieved through training and development of human resource, proper successive plan, mentoring and coaching of younger ones.

Appreciation

The wife of Prof. Nkrumah, Dr Margaret Elizabeth Nkrumah, who received the award on behalf of her husband, commended the organisers for recognising the immense contribution of Prof. Nkrumah to medicine and public health.

Prof. Nyame also expressed appreciation to the organisers and said education had the potential of transforming individuals and communities.

He said instead of complaining and moaning about the deficiency of the black man “we should get on with it and ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”.