Ghana’s Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, says his five-week stay at the Mayo Clinic in the US for treatment for COVID-19 complications has opened his eyes to the close link between health and finance.
He believes that the country must take some bold steps to improve its health infrastructure going forward, and he is determined, as the Finance Minister, to find a way to address the funding challenge.
Speaking at the presentation of Festschrift in honour of Rev. Prof. J. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, President of the Trinity Theological Seminary in Accra, Ofori-Atta said, “in my five weeks at the Mayo Clinic where they have three shields; faith, hope and science, I came to really understand the nexus between finance and health, and the need for us as a country to be bold about our health infrastructure and our ministry finding every way to be able to fund that, so we protect our citizens.”
Ken Ofori-Atta in February 2021 left Ghana for the US to undergo treatment for complications from COVID-19.
His time out of the country saw his vetting as Minister for Finance nominee postponed to a later date.
He however returned to the country some five weeks later amidst criticisms from a section of the public over why he sought treatment outside the country.
Some critics said his action was a subtle acceptance of the failure of the government to ensure quality health infrastructure and health service delivery in Ghana.
This was at a time when President Akufo-Addo had also lamented over the lack of health facilities in some districts across the country hence promised to begin the construction of 88 100-bed hospital facilities across the country.
Meanwhile, Ken Ofori-Atta has eulogized Rev. Prof. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, President of the Trinity Theological Seminary describing him as being a worthy example of a man of integrity.
“At a time when our society appears to be starved of morality, integrity and the desire to pursue knowledge in order to make informed decisions about critical issues, it is refreshing to encounter individuals like Rev. Prof. J. Asamoah-Gyadu who are constantly applying their knowledge and being accountable to us as a people and their knowledge enables them to serve and influence society at various levels.”