Professor Frank Edwin, Head of Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, School of Medicine, University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) delivered his inaugural lecture on the topic: “YOUR HEART IN THEIR HANDS –DECISION POINTS IN CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY” at SBBS Auditorium at the University’s Main Campus, Ho on Thursday September 5, 2019.
Professor John Owusu Gyapong, Vice Chancellor and Chairman of the ceremony in his introductory remarks shared insights of Professor Edwin’s trajectory of schooling and career years. He also seized the opportunity to enumerate on the University’s conventional practices that one must accomplish to be bestowed with the title of a Professor.
Professor Frank Edwin, who hails from Ashanti New Town (Ash town) in Kumasi, is also a former student of Wesley College Practice Primary School, Atwimaman now Afia Kobi Ampem Girls Senior High School, Prempeh College all in the Ashanti Region, began his lecture on an analogy he termed the ‘Michelin Man’ to explain the delicate nature of his profession as a cardiothoracic surgeon and other societal perceptions.
Professor Edwin graduated from the University of Ghana Medical School (UGMS), Legon in December 1994, winning three prizes; the Badoe Prize in surgery, the Acheampong Prize in Clinical Surgery and the Shell Prize in Surgery. He bemoaned the rising number of degenerative health diseases that are related to cardiothoracic and the perception that such conditions were only prevalent in the developed countries is contrary to the statistics available now.
With the aid of illustrations and statistics, Professor Edwin enumerated the challenges related to Cardiothoracic Surgery across the continent; the experienced surgeon in paediatric and congenital heart diseases made a strong appeal to the training of cardiothoracic surgeons and investment in Cardiothoracic Units in the various hospitals across Africa.
Professor Edwin who is also a member of the Ghana Medical Association and the European Association of Cardiothoracic Surgeons informed the gathering that, currently there are about 6,168 children with congenital needs against 10 trained Cardiothoracic Surgeons across the country.
On the matter of service and financial accesses available to the citizenry, Professor Edwin who was the third Ghanaian senior resident to be trained under the tutelage of a renowned Heart Surgeon Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, concluded his lecture with the call on the need for a greater collaboration between Government and relevant stakeholders to drastically address the availability of access to health care and the training of cardiothoracic surgeons. He also appealed for alternative effective and efficient National Health Insurance Scheme to finance the cost of treatment for patients with financial challenges.
Professor John Owusu Gyapong in his closing remarks congratulated Professor Frank Edwin on his academic achievements. He described Professor Edwin as a dedicated hardworking person from a humble beginning who applied himself to the rudiments of how to reach the pinnacle of his career.
The Vice Chancellor admonished the young faculty members to emulate the inspirational story of Professor Edwin and be propelled to get to the peak of the academic ladder.
The Registrar, Dr Cynthia Sena Kpeglo was the moderator of the ceremony and earlier welcomed the guests to the lecture. She emphasised on the importance of an inaugural lecture. She noted that, it presents an opportunity for newly-promoted or appointed Professors to inform colleagues in the University and the general public about their research career so far and update them on their current and future research directions.
There were presentations made to Professor Frank Edwin from his family, the Cardiothoracic Unit of the Ho Teaching Hospital and other institutions outside the University. Present at the lecture were some Members of the University Council, Professor Seth Owusu-Agyei, the Pro Vice Chancellor; Deans; Directors and members of the University community. Others present were Dr. Archibald Letsa, the Volta Regional Minister; Dr Timothy Letsa, the Volta Regional Director of Ghana Health Service; Heads of Department and Institutions in the Volta Region; colleagues from the Ho Teaching Hospital; colleagues from the National Cardiothoracic Centre, Korle-Bu; Family and Friends of Professor Edwin, and the general public .