Dr. Koby Appiah-Sakyi, President of the African Medical Tourism Council (ATMC), has revealed that the council has submitted a document to Parliament to help pass a law on organ transplant in Ghana.
Speaking in an interview with Erica Mintaah Ohene on CH Tourism TV during the Medical Tourism Media Engagement, Dr. Appiah-Sakyi said a lot of work has already gone into drafting the proposed law. According to him, the document is currently before Parliament and is being reviewed.
He explained that once the document is brought to the floor of Parliament for discussion and debate, some changes may be made before it is finally passed. Although no one can say exactly how long the process will take, he believes the law will be very beneficial to the country when it is approved.
Dr. Appiah-Sakyi noted that the easiest way to get organs for transplant is from people who have passed away or have just died. He said organs like the liver and kidneys can be harvested if a person gives consent before death. This makes it easier to use the organs to save the lives of others who need them.
He added that in many parts of the world where organ transplants are common, this is how organs are obtained. It does not depend on living people donating their organs while alive. He stressed that unless more people agree to donate their organs after death, organ transplants will continue to be difficult in the country. Even if transplant surgery is allowed, getting organs will remain a major challenge.
Dr. Appiah-Sakyi also spoke about how medical tourism can bring in a lot of foreign exchange for Ghana. He explained that a regular tourist spends about two thousand dollars on average during a one-week stay, sometimes up to ten thousand dollars. However, a medical tourist spends at least thirty thousand dollars.
He added that most medical tourists travel in groups of three to five people, which increases the total amount of money spent. According to him, Ghana made about one billion dollars from medical tourism two years ago, and that same amount could be achieved with just 180,000 medical tourists.
Touching on job creation, Dr. Appiah-Sakyi said a strong medical tourism industry would create jobs for young people. Hotels would need more workers, hospitals would expand, nurses and doctors would have more work, and more training opportunities would be available.
He also mentioned that Ghanaian doctors would gain more skills because they would treat more patients and perform more surgeries. In addition, Ghana could support other countries, such as Angola, by helping to train their medical professionals.
