Ghana’s Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, claims his five-week stay at the Mayo Clinic in the United States of America for care of COVID-19 complications opened his eyes to the near connection between health and finance.
He insists that the nation must take ambitious action in the future to develop its health system, and he is ready, as Finance Minister, to find a solution to the funding crisis.
Speaking at the presentation of a Festschrift in honor of Rev. Prof. J. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, President of the Trinity Theological Seminary in Accra, Ofori-Atta said, “during my five weeks at the Mayo Clinic, where they have three shields of faith, hope, and science, I came to really understand the nexus between finance and health, and the importance for us as a country to be bold about our health infrastructure.”
Ken Ofori-Atta left Ghana for the United States in February 2021 to get care for COVID-19-related complications.
Due to his absence from the country, his screening as a candidate for the position of Minister of Finance was delayed.
He returned to the country five weeks later, despite backlash from several members of the public over his decision to seek care outside the country.
According to some opponents, his gesture was a subliminal admission of the government’s inability to maintain the consistency of health facilities and health service delivery in Ghana.
This came at a period when President Akufo-Addo expressed concern over the shortage of health facilities in several districts around the nation and pledged to initiate development of 88 100-bed hospital facilities across the country.
Meanwhile, Ken Ofori-Atta has lauded Rev. Prof. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, President of Trinity Theological Seminary, as a model of honesty.
“At a time when our society seems to be devoid of morality, integrity, and a need to pursue knowledge in order to make informed decisions on critical issues, it is refreshing to encounter individuals like Rev. Prof. J. Asamoah-Gyadu who are constantly applying their knowledge and holding themselves accountable to us as a people, and whose knowledge enables them to serve and influence society in a variety of ways.
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SOURCE: ATLFMONLINE
