My 5-week US hospitalization opened my eyes to the need for health infrastructure investment – Ofori-Atta

Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has said he realised the need for investment in Ghana’s health infrastructure during his five-week hospitalisation in the US for post-COVID-19 complication treatment.

Addressing the Festschrift in honour of Rev. Prof. J. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, President of the Trinity Theological Seminary in Accra, Mr Ofori-Atta confessed: “In my five weeks at the Mayo Clinic where they have three shields; faith, hope and science, I came to really understand the nexus between finance and health, and the need for us as a country to be bold about our health infrastructure and our ministry finding every way to be able to fund that, so we protect our citizens.”

On Valentine’s Day this year, the Ministry of Finance issued a statement to inform the general public and stakeholders that Mr. Ofori-Atta, who was, at the time, the representative of the President at the Ministry of Finance and Minister-designate for Finance, was to travel to the United States of America today for “a special medical review”.

The statement said after recovering from COVID-19 last December, Mr. Ofori-Atta had medical complications which doctors advised, required further interventions not currently available in Ghana.

The complications delayed Mr. Ofori-Atta’s vetting by Parliament’s Appointments Committee.

While convalescing in the US, Mr. Ofori-Atta expressed gratitude to God for watching over him as he battled the complications.

In a virtual post-budget forum organised by PricewaterhouseCoopers, Mr. Ofori-Atta said: “For me, personally, I guess I would want to reiterate how merciful the Lord has been to me and also grateful for the prayer support from my family”.

“The challenge is my post-COVID-19 symptoms”, he acknowledged, adding: “It is in the Bible that says: ‘Peter, therefore, was kept in prison, but prayer was made without ceasing for the church and for him and I have felt how God miraculously delivered Peter from prison because the saints prayed for him’”.

“The doctors here have been fantastic and very dedicated, but even they acknowledge that there must be someone upstairs who is watching over me because the numbers were so critical. So, thank you, indeed, for your earnest prayers, which have saved me.”