Ghana is facing a significant shortage of trained inguinal hernia surgeons, leading to a backlog of cases. It is estimated that about 2 million men aged 15 years and above require hernia repairs.
To tackle this major public health concern, medical professors are calling for more skilled surgeons to bridge the gap. In line with this, the Holy Family Catholic Hospital in Berekum has begun training young doctors to boost the delivery of inguinal hernia surgeries in the country.
Professor Michael Ohene Yeboah of the Department of Surgery, University of Ghana Medical School, has expressed concern over the limited number of fully trained surgeons available for inguinal hernia operations locally.
He noted that the University, in collaboration with the Ghana Surgeons Society, the National Institute for Health and Care Research, and the Global Surgery Unit, is working to equip more young doctors with the necessary skills to reduce the shortage.
The Medical Director and Consultant Surgeon at the Holy Family Hospital, Dr. Frank Enoch Gyamfi, in Berekum also emphasized that the shortage of surgeons has left a huge number of hernia cases untreated, posing serious health risks to men across the country. He explained that the hospital is committed to training more doctors to address the gap and improve surgical delivery.
Some young doctors who benefited from the structured surgical training expressed excitement about the opportunity, describing it as a step toward addressing the shortage of hernia surgeons, particularly in the Bono Region.
By Richard Adu Manu
