Thu, 03 Sep 2026 Feature Article

Support The Living: Health Must Come Before Wealth

03 Sep 2026

There must be a cultural shift in how we value life, health and material success. Too often, society celebrates people for the properties and wealth they accumulate while paying little attention to their physical and mental well-being.

We build houses, purchase land, expand businesses and save money for the future, yet many of us neglect regular medical check-ups, proper nutrition, exercise, rest and early treatment. We spend years creating wealth but sometimes fail to protect the health needed to enjoy it.

This mindset must change.
Preventive healthcare should become part of our everyday lives, not something reserved for the wealthy or pursued only when illness becomes severe. Regular health screening can help identify conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer and kidney disease before they reach dangerous stages. Seeking medical attention early may save both lives and the high cost of emergency treatment.

Families and communities must also learn to support people while they are alive. It is troubling that contributions often come quickly for funerals, coffins, food and elaborate ceremonies, yet raising money for someone’s hospital treatment can become a painful struggle.

There is nothing wrong with giving the dead a dignified burial. However, there is greater value in helping a sick person receive treatment, recover and return home to their family.

Individuals must also take responsibility for their well-being. Building wealth is important, but health should be considered part of that wealth. A beautiful house offers little comfort if its owner is too ill to live in it. Money in the bank has limited meaning if preventable sickness takes away the opportunity to enjoy it.

Let us therefore redefine success. True prosperity is not measured only by houses, cars, businesses and bank balances. It also includes good health, peace of mind, strong relationships and the ability to enjoy the fruits of one’s labour.

Ghana needs a culture that encourages preventive care, supports the sick and values people before death. Let us contribute toward hospital bills with the same enthusiasm we show toward funeral expenses.

We must invest in our health, care for one another and support the living while there is still time to make a difference.

This Author has published 202 articles on modernghana.com. More I am a Ghanaian business leader, entrepreneur, industrial development professional, researcher and author with over two decades of experience in senior executive and technical roles.

I currently serve as the Chief Executive Officer of Tata Beverages Company Limited and Tata Industrial Company Limited, where I provide strategic leadership in manufacturing, product development, business growth and the promotion of locally manufactured products.

My professional experience spans a broad range of industries, including beverage and brewing, soap manufacturing, water treatment, paint and ink production, agriculture and agro-processing, food processing, technology and industrial manufacturing.

Beyond Ghana, I have provided consultancy and technical advisory services to start-ups and emerging businesses in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso and Nigeria. Through these engagements, I have supported entrepreneurs and businesses in product development, manufacturing processes, equipment selection, quality improvement and the establishment of sustainable production operations.

I am a strong advocate for Made-in-Ghana products, entrepreneurship, industrialisation, local value addition and the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). I firmly believe that Ghana and Africa's long-term economic transformation will depend on our ability to produce more of what we consume, add value to our locally available resources and build competitive industries that create sustainable employment.

My interests extend beyond manufacturing to agriculture, food security, STEM education, innovation, healthcare, entrepreneurship and national development. I am particularly passionate about practical solutions that can strengthen local industries, create opportunities for young people and reduce Africa's excessive dependence on imports.

As an author and contributor to ModernGhana, I regularly write on business, manufacturing, agriculture, entrepreneurship, economic development and other issues of national and continental importance. Through my writing, I seek to stimulate constructive public discussion, challenge conventional thinking and advocate practical solutions to Ghana's development challenges.

I have also undertaken and published research in areas related to manufacturing, food processing, innovation, local raw-material utilisation and sustainable industrial development. My research interests are driven by the belief that Africa possesses enormous resources that can be transformed through research, technology, entrepreneurship and industrialisation.

Throughout my professional journey, I have remained committed to promoting local manufacturing, entrepreneurship and African industrial development.

My philosophy is simple:

“Africa must produce more of what it consumes, process more of what it produces, and build competitive businesses capable of creating jobs and competing globally.”Column: Frank Ayim Damptey

Disclaimer: "The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect ModernGhana official position. ModernGhana will not be responsible or liable for any inaccurate or incorrect statements in the contributions or columns here." Follow our WhatsApp channel for meaningful stories picked for your day.

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Support The Living: Health Must Come Before Wealth

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