President John Dramani Mahama has opened the 66th Annual Conference of the West African College of Surgeons (WACS), urging governments and health stakeholders to prioritise stronger surgical capacity to improve health outcomes across the sub-region.

Addressing participants at the opening ceremony on Monday, February 9, President Mahama described surgery as a critical pillar of healthcare, closely linked to human dignity, productivity, and national development.

He stressed that building surgical capacity must go beyond training more surgeons to include stronger health systems, multidisciplinary teams, effective governance, and equitable access to care.

The conference, held under the theme “Capacity Building in Surgery for Improved Health Outcomes in West Africa,” brought together surgeons, health professionals, researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders from across the region to advance collaboration and innovation in specialist care.

President Mahama reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to strengthening surgical training, expanding health infrastructure, and improving specialist services within the country and across West Africa.

In recognition of his contributions to surgical development, he was honoured as Grand Patron and inducted as an Honorary Fellow of the West African College of Surgeons.

Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, in his remarks, underscored the importance of surgery as a core component of functional health systems rather than an optional service.

He noted that safe and effective surgery depends on system readiness, including reliable infrastructure, blood and diagnostic services, intensive care units, and strong clinical governance frameworks.

He commended WACS for promoting global standards through regional collaboration and revealed that a surgical outreach programme organised alongside the conference delivered 855 surgical procedures across 11 hospitals in six regions of Ghana.

The Health Minister also addressed the challenge of health worker migration, calling for improved working conditions, structured career progression, and deeper engagement with the medical diaspora to retain and attract skilled professionals.

The 66th WACS Conference is expected to chart new pathways for strengthening surgical care and specialist training, positioning West Africa to better meet its growing healthcare needs.