The National Cardiothoracic Centre (NCTC) at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital has organised a dinner in honour of celebrated Ghanaian heart surgeon, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, whose exemplary leadership and vision led to the establishment of the centre in 1989.
The occasion was graced by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the hospital, Dr Opoku Ware Ampomah, and the Director of Medical Services of the hospital, Dr Frank Owusu Sekyere.
Also in attendance were workers at the centre, including the pioneering staff made up of consultant cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons, residents, anaesthetists, pharmacists and nurses.
They took turns to testify how Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, who was the first director at the centre and a former CEO of the hospital, impacted their careers and helped bring the centre to its current status for the country and the West Africa sub region.
Eulogy
Dr Ampomah described Prof. Frimpong-Boateng as not only great, but a legend who needed to be celebrated by the entire nation.
He mentioned some of the projects Prof. Frimpong-Boateng undertook as CEO of the hospital to include the establishment of the current administration block and the wall around the landed property of the hospital.
Dr Ampomah also said that Prof. Frimpong-Boateng made it easy for doctors to further their postgraduate studies.
“Men like Prof. Frimpong-Boateng are rare.
Thank you for availing yourself and for all the sacrifices you made for Korle Bu,” he added.
The acting Director of the NCTC, Prof. Mark Mawutor Tettey, explained that Prof. Frimpong-Boateng achieved a lot for the centre for which reason they decided to celebrate him while he was still alive.
In line with that, he said a bust in front of the NCTC would soon be unveiled in his honour.
Dr Alfred Doku, who is the Head of Cardiology at the hospital and the University of Ghana Medical School (UGMS), also eulogised Prof. Frimpong-Boateng for tutoring them, which he said had also enabled them to train others.
“But for you, our training in cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery would have been a nightmare,” Dr Abdul-Samed Tanko, the Head of Cardiology at the NCTC, said.
For his part, a surgeon at NCTC, Dr Kow Entsua-Mensah, said: “Thank you for how far you have brought me in your mentorship.
You told me I will become a great cardiothoracic surgeon in future and that statement has stayed with me ever since.”
Response
Responding to a toast in his honour, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng said it was his hope that the NCTC would be developed to a level comparable to any cardio centre in the world, especially with regard to sub-specialisation.
“We have lost a lot of ground but it is not too late. If we compare NCTC to others in West African countries we may be doing well, but this is not where we are supposed to be,” he said.
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng said the centre, which started as a unit, had expanded to produce professors, and encouraged other doctors to publish their works to become professors as well.
The exemplary leadership and vision of Prof. Frimpong-Boateng led to the establishment of the centre in 1989. It was, however, officially inaugurated on April 2, 1992. Also honoured were former President Jerry John Rawlings and his wife, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, for their efforts in facilitating the birthing of the centre amid political opposition.
Establishment of centre
In a speech that evoked emotions, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng said although the centre was for the betterment of citizens, no institution was willing to support him when it was being put up.
He said the Ministry of Health, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital were all unwilling to support when he contacted them because they either lacked understanding of his vision or they did not believe in it.
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng also said that he personally provided funding for the start of the project and expressed joy that his vision had become a centre of excellence for the cure of heart diseases.
He went further to show some pictures of his journey as a medical professional, the evolution of the centre and some of the people he had worked with, and concluded by saying that: “Great institutions are difficult to build but easy to destroy and impossible to restore.”
Other pioneering management members, including doctors, medical staff and some institutions were also acknowledged for their roles at the centre in the management of cardiovascular diseases not only in the country, but the West Africa sub-region.
The centre has over the years performed over 13,000 surgeries, saving the country about $70 billion dollars. Activities lined up for the anniversary celebration include free health screening, exhibitions, medical outreaches and media engagements.
