By Samuel Akumatey
Ho, Nov. 13, GNA – Ghana’s medical doctors spent the week in the Volta Region for the 66th Annual General Conference of the Ghana Medical Association leaving with the most favourable reviews.
Dr. Kweku Appiagyei, Chairman of the Volta Division of the Association received loud cheers and applause as he strode across the podium of the UHAS Cedi Auditorium to deliver his speech at the opening of the conference, and the Master of Ceremonies heaped praise and accolades for delivering a memorable experience.
The annual general conference, for the first time was being held as a week-long event, and it became an opportunity for the Volta Region to show off its tourism appeal.
Volta is the undisputed hub of tourist experience in Ghana, and the hard-worked doctors never had enough cooling it off.
The Region has an uncountable offer of waterfalls and secluded peaks, and with the support of the Regional Minister who is lead initiator of the “Visit Volta, Experience Ghana” campaign, the medical professionals took off in all directions.
“This is an unprecedented AGC,” the Divisional Chairman said, revealing that more than 600 members had arrived in the Region by Monday.
The GNA overheard complains of joint pains at the opening ceremony on Friday, as many took on the daunting challenges of the famous Amedzofe canopy walkway, the Wli Waterfalls in Hohoe, and also Ghana’s highest mountain, the Afadjato.
There were caravans that took the southern route, exploring the Volta Basin and the beaches as far as into neighbouring Togo.
Back in the regional capital, the nights are fun, and there were cocktail nights at the various hotels to show love to the hardest working of professional classes.
All came together, more than a thousand of them, Friday and Saturday for the conference sessions, and the UHAS Auditorium and its vicinity was packed with medical and pharmaceutical companies from across the world marketing products and services at an exhibition organised as part of the event.
“The volume of money that we have sunk into the Volta Economy is more than what has been taken out of our pockets by the AGC,” Dr. Appiagyei said in his welcome address.
Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa, the Volta Regional Minister, officially welcomed them to the Region at the opening event, appreciating the show of love and support for the Region.
He later that evening hosted them to a cocktail dinner at the Residency.
Dr. Julius Patamia, Regional Secretary of the Association told the GNA the celebration this year was focused on the mental health of the medical professionals, and that patronage of the AGC has been the highest so far and also very rewarding.
Dr. Frank Serebour, President of the Association, addressing the press at the wrap of the conference, shared contentment.
“Am sure a lot of us have had a good time in the Region. Courtesy our host the Divisional Chairman, we’ve had a feel of most of these tourist sites. Yesterday we were informed that there are even more tourist sites that we were not able to visit. One particular one that is stuck on my mind is the breast mountain. I don’t know where it is, but it is important that we’ll come back and go and look at it,” he heartily remarked.
Some members of the Association ordered for branded Visit Volta t-shirts as souvenirs.
Dr. Oko Boye, the Health Minister who graced the conference, announced the purchase of four plots of prime lands at the Ho Airport for the Association as a personal gift, and pledged to support the development of a multi-purpose center.
The 66th Annual General Conference was held on the theme “Fostering Technology, Entrepreneurship and Professionalism in Ghana’s Health Sector,” and a business session became one of the main highlights.
GNA