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17.02.2005 Health

Ghana will become a gateway to health - JAK

17.02.2005 LISTEN
By GNA

Accra, Feb.17, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Thursday said Ghana had not only been the gateway to the West African Sub-Region in the economic and political integration, but in health sector as well. He therefore, pledged the Government's commitment to assist in facilitating the work of the Advanced Trauma Operative Management (ATOM) within the Sub-Region.

President Kufuor made the pledge when a delegation of participants attending the ATOM Course and Surgical Skills Training at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital paid a courtesy call on him at the Castle, Osu. The course is being undertaken by the West African College of Surgeons in collaboration with American College of Surgeons, Johnson and Johnson and International Aid.

He said, "we thank the team for being in Ghana. Ghana has been the gateway to the Sub-Region in economic, political and integration and would soon be the gateway in health through the ATOM concept. We are ready to use the new technology in Ghana as a good base to train trainers for ATOM".

Professor Edward D. Yeboah, a Consultant Urologist and President of the West African College of Surgeons who led the delegation said it was the first time the course was being held outside the US and in Africa. He said eight surgeons, four each from Ghana and Nigeria had been trained to train about 200 surgeons from Ghana and 1,500 from West Africa were to undertake the ATOM project.

Professor Yeboah said trauma had become a leading cause of death and disability in many less developed countries especially ECOWAS countries.

He said road traffic injuries alone were the second leading cause of death among older children and young adults throughout most countries.

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