Asamoa-Baah's elevation reflects Ghana's rich resources

Accra, Jan. 16, GNA - Staff of the Ministry of Health on Tuesday described the appointment of Dr Anarfi Asamoa-Baah, Former Director of Medical Services, as the Deputy Director-General of World Health Organisation (WHO) as an elevation of Ghana's rich human resources.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra, Dr Samuel Adjei, Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, said the position occupied by Dr Asamoa-Baah now was a very sensitive one and that Ghanaians needed to help to maintain it by working hard to support him.

"With that position, much is expected from you from your country, but at the global level, the agenda is different and one should not be seen to be giving favours."

Dr Adjei described Dr Asamoah-Baah, affectionately called by his colleagues 93AB" as very innovative and whose power of thinking was extra ordinary.

"AB was not the push over type of person. When he was the Director of Medical Services, he stood up against the international donors, who wanted to bulldoze us when we wre developing the health policy in 1994."

"AB was highly focused, result oriented, analytical and always thinks 10 miles ahead of you."

Dr Kofi Ahmed, the Chief Medical Officer of the Ministry of Health, also described "AB" as a smart, intelligent, hard working and very reliable person, adding that his appointment was not a surprise. 93He deserves it and I am sure he had worked for it."

A cross-section of the staff of MOH also described "AB" as a hard working man, "a man who never joked with his work and we are happy to have worked with him", his former Secretary said.

Some journalists, who also had the opportunity to work with "AB" shared the same views.

Mrs Yaa Oforiwah Asare-Peasah, Deputy News Editor of the Ghana News Agency, said the Doctor was hardworking and reliable.

She had this to say: 93Dr Asamoah Baah was always there

for us, especially with matters about news. He had always

been willing to provide the needed pieces of information that

would make the headlines provided they were not

classified." Ms Rosemary Ardayfio of the Daily Graphic described Dr

Asamoa-Baah as a visionary, acute, intelligent and media

friendly. 93He had a sense of humour. "Uncle "AB" as I called him was always at our service and

will not hesitate to talk or comment on anything when we

wanted him to and that made working with him very

interesting", Ms Ardayfio said. Dr Asamoa-Baah graduated from the University of Ghana

Medical School in 1984 and worked with the Offinso Catholic

Hospital and became the District Medical Officer of health for

a period. He also served as the Acting Senior Medical Officer

In-Charge of Communicable Diseases for the Ashanti Region

for a period whilst working as District Medical Officer of

Health for Offinso. In 1989, Dr Asamoa-Baah was awarded a scholarship for

further training in Public Health at the Leeds University in the

United Kingdom after which he did further training in Health

Planning and Health Economics to broaden his knowledge. On his return to Ghana in 1991, he was appointed the

Acting Director and Head of the Policy and Planning Unit of

the Ministry of Health, which later became the Policy

Planning Monitoring and Evaluation Unit. Dr Asamoa-Baah was one of the pioneers of the reform

in the health sector and served as the Acting Director of

Medical Services from 1997 until his appointment at the

WHO in 1998.