Min Urged To Promote Medical Tourism

THE Director-General of the Holy Trinity Medical Centre, Dr Felix Kwaku Anyah, says the Ministry of Tourism and Diasporan Relations must incorporate health medical tourism in its list of tourism products.

This, he said, will enable the ministry to benefit immensely from the fastest growing area of health tourism worldwide.

Dr Anyah said this when he delivered the key note address at the 8th West Africa Nobles Forum (WANF) Awards held on Saturday at Sogakope in the Volta Region.

The WANF is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) with a membership of 700 eminent West African professionals and businessmen who are championing the cause of humanity in their various countries.

The forum which was organised under the theme: Exploring the potentials of medial tourism in West Africa discussed issues on stress, pressure of work, fatigue, emotional problems and hydrotherapy among others.

The Director-General said as Ghana has become a tourist destination on the African continent it is imperative to add healthy lifestyle conferencing to other health products to make the tourism package more attractive.

He said tourists who are professionals risk contracting lifestyle diseases as they attend conferences daily and have little time to check on their health needs. "But they will have the best opportunity to do so in Ghana when the health package is added to the tourism products," he said.

"This will be the best opportunity for lifestyle change, a health package customised with an understanding of human behaviour and behavioral change is best to motivate people, build skills and ensure change," he added.

Dr Anyah continued that "Ghana has all the natural environment to attract private sector partnership, but regrettably stakeholders who design modules for change meet at places where they have no opportunity to do what they designed except to travel and observe it outside Ghana".

He cited the Holy Trinity SPA and Health Farm as one of the destinations that can offer the best opportunity to prospective tourists who would explore the natural environment to their advantage.

Touching on lifestyle and aging, Dr Anyah urged members of WANF to adopt the ten health pillars which he named as regular and appropriate exercise, scientific relaxation, healthy diet, detoxification, managing stress, supplements, positive attitudes and Christian discipleship.

The Executive Secretary of WANF, Rev Dr Dee Otibu-Asare, urged members not to take for granted the occupational health hazards they go through as chief executives since they can live longer and enjoy their hard earned incomes at old age if they take their health tips seriously.

The occasion also saw the honouring of 20 personalities including Major (rtd) Courage Quashigah, Minister of Health, Barrister James Abiaduka, Sena Akua Dansua, MP for North Dayi, Joseph Amenowode, MP, Hohoe South, Charles Hodogbe, MP, North Tongu, among others.

They each received a plaque and a citation.