A senior surgeon at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Professor Joseph Yorke, has underscored the need for the country to harness the experience of retired surgeons.
Speaking on Ghanakoma morning show on Akoma 87.9 FM in Kumasi with Sir John, on Friday, June 12,2026, Prof Yorke, said, this is a critical strategy to address the shortage of medical specialists in Ghana.
The government already supports postretirement contracts to keep veterans active, allowing their invaluable skills to be redirected where they are needed most.
Prof Yorke said retired and veteran surgeons in Ghana can be deployed for maximum impact through several key initiatives.
Every year, seasoned experts retire from public and private sectors of Ghana’s economy. Many of these retirees would have spent about three to four four decades building institutions, managing complex projects , mentoring young professionals, solving real problems, managing people and learning from both successes and failures.
Retirees, therefore, possess valuable expertise or professional experience which cannot be easily replaced.
Unfortunately, Ghana’s institutional systems rarely provide structured avenues for retaining or utilising this vast expertise after retirement. Once retirement arrives (usually at age 60), society and industry largely ignore them, as if their expertise has suddenly expired.
He said it is regrettable that whilst retirees’ experience is a valuable national asset, retired surgeons represent one of Ghana’s most underutilised national resources.
He called on the government to make good use of them to fill spaces available.
By Benjamin Aidoo
