By Samira Larbie
Mumbai, Oct. 18, GNA – Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, the First Lady, has made a passionate appeal to Merck Foundation to help train more radiologists in Ghana.
She said Ghana has a total of three radiologists, two on retirement and one in active service hence the need to train more to effectively take care of the needs of Ghanaians.
Mrs Akufo-Addo made the call in her keynote speech at the opening of the 2023 10th Edition of the Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary and the inauguration of the sixth anniversary of the Merck Foundation after its establishment in 2017.
Radiologists are medical doctors who specialise in diagnosing and treating injuries and diseases, using medical imaging (radiology) procedures such as X-rays, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear medicine, positron emission tomography (PET), and ultrasound.
“The candidates are there and ready but we need the opportunity to undertake the training and this is my appeal to Dr Rasha to help train more radiologists,” she said.
The First Lady said more radiologists would help diagnose problems early, to increase the chances of patients getting a cure, adding that without radiology, saving lives would be difficult.
The luminary in partnership with Tata Memorial Centre and Krishna Vishwa Vidyapeeth, seeks to educate as well as contribute to the social and economic development of Africa and Asia and improve access to quality and equitable healthcare solutions.
She said Merck Foundation over the years had enabled Ghana to access new resources, increased and networks to enhance their work.
Mrs Akufo-Addo said Ghana had trained more than 130 public healthcare providers in 39 diverse disciplines, adding that the country could now boast of more specialists in very critical areas of medicine due to the partnership with Merck Foundation.
The Partnership has expanded the capacity of her office with the “Merck Foundation More than a Mother” campaign and had helped Ghanaians become more open to infertility, seeking help and preventing stigma,” she added.
The First Lady commended Merck Foundation and partners for the support and initiative so far.
The other First Ladies at the Luminary include Mrs Neo Jane Masisi of Botswana, Mrs Angeline Nda Yishimiye of Burundi, Dr DeboraKatisa Carvalho of Cabo Verde, Mrs Brigitte Touadera of Central African Republic, Mrs Fatuomatta Bah-Barrow of the Gambia, and Mrs Clar Marie Weah of Liberia.
The rest are Mrs Monica Chakwera of Malawi, Mrs Maria De Fatima Vila Nova of the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe, and Mrs Denise Nyakeru Tshisekedi of the Republic of the Congo, who joined virtually.
The First Ladies shared experiences from their respective countries on how the “Merck Foundation More than a Mother” campaign had improved infertility in their communities.
Professor Dr Rajendra Badwe, the Director, Tata Memorial Centre, India, called for a national cancer registry to allow for proper monitoring.
He again called for deliberate systems to assess the whole spectrum of healthcare in society on how to treat cancer not just locally but globally.
Prof Dr Suresh Bhosale, Honorable Chancellor Krishna Vishwa Vidyapeeth University, encouraged women to go for screening for early detection and treatment.
He said this was crucial as over 80 per cent of women in India were not aware of breast cancer.
More than 10,000 participants, including healthcare providers, policymakers, researchers, academia and media representatives from 70 English, French, Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries attended the Luminary.
Senator Dr Rasha Kelej, Chief Executive Officer, of Merck Foundation, said the Foundation offered scholarships to 1700 doctors from 50 countries in 42 critical and underserved specialties such as; Oncology, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Preventive, Endocrinology, Fertility and Embryology.
Other specialty doctors in Reproductive Care, Respiratory Care, Acute and Intensive Care, Neonatal Care, pediatric Emergency, Advanced Surgery, Microbiology & Infectious Diseases,
internal Medicine, Ophthalmology, Psychiatry, Palliative Care and Pain Management have also benefited from the scholarship.
GNA