The Ho Teaching Hospital in the Volta Region is positioning itself to become Africa's medical tourism destination of choice.

The Hospital is working towards infrastructural expansion, investment in health technology, modern equipment and building human resources to be a one-stop medical destination.

It recently commissioned some new facilities and introduced some specialist services, including endoscopy, neurology, pain management, CT scan, Electrocardiogram (ECG), Echocardiogram, and Oncology.

The Hospital also established a Medical Tourism Coordinating Department to lead the vision of making the facility a medical tourism destination of choice.

Addressing the 2024 Annual Performance Review Conference of the Hospital, the Medical Tourism Coordinator, Anthony Bells Kafui Kanyi, described the medical tourism sector as "juicy" with huge potential for Ghana and Africa.

He said it could create jobs in the health, transportation, hospitality, and other service sectors and boost the local economy.

He said Ghana, with high international reputation and attractiveness, had a huge potential in the space and must invest in the sector to rake in international patient revenue to reset the economy.

Mr. Kanyi said not much was happening in West Africa when it the areas of medical tourism and urged the government to make the sector a priority.

"South Africa is leading the continent, Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt are doing something at the north. Kenya is doing its own in the East. How about the West? Yes, Korle-bu is doing something on cardio, but we can do more," he stressed.

He said currently, only 0.6 percent of visitors came to Ghana for healthcare reasons and said that narrative must change.

Mr Kanyi commended the government for its vision to improve the country's tertiary and quaternary-level hospitals to boost health tourism and called for support of all to make Ghana a medical tourism hub in Africa.

He entreated the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Arts to develop health tourism as a product or service just like ecotourism to create jobs in the value chain.

Mr. Kanyi said Ghanaian experienced consultants and specialists across the world should be encouraged to come back home to help develop and grow niche areas for medical tourism.

“The Ministry of Health must empower hospitals to undergo international accreditation to meet global healthcare standards, introduce medical travel policies to position Ghana as a competitive destination for healthcare services, and establish a Health Tourism Coordination Unit in the Ministry ”, he added.

The Chief Executive Officer of Ho Teaching Hospital, Dr. John Tampuori, said the Hospital’s efforts to introduce specialised services had enhanced its appeal as a potential medical tourism destination.

He said in the period under review, outpatient department visits had increased from 211,104 in 2023 to 212,129 in 2024, a testament to increasing public confidence in the Hospital's services.

He indicated that unfortunately, maternal mortality increased from 18 deaths in 2023 to 20 deaths in 2024.

Dr. Tampuori assured of improved healthcare services through strategic local and international collaborations.

The Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu, said the Conference’s theme, "Focusing on Stakeholder Participation in Innovative Tertiary Healthcare for Medical Tourism", aligned perfectly with the Government’s vision of developing Ghana into a hub for advanced healthcare services.

He praised the recent development of the Ho Teaching Hospital and emphasized the government's commitment to support the upgrading of the facility to deliver specialized services to its clientele.

“As outlined in the 2025 budget, HTH is set for an upgrade to a comprehensive specialist hospital, which will enhance healthcare accessibility in the Volta Region.

Additionally, the uncapping of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) will provide better financial support for hospitals and patients”, he said.