Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng
Encyclopedia
Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng is a Ghana
ian cardiothoracic surgeon
who was the Chief Executive Officer
of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital
in Accra
. He established the National Cardiothoracic Center teaching young surgeons. He is also the director of Ghana's National Cardiothoracic Center, and President of the Ghana Heart Foundation and the Ghana Red Cross Society. Frimpong-Boateng was elected a Fellow of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences in December 2002.
of Ghana. He went to the University of Ghana
in 1968 starting with a one year pre-science course and in 1969 he was admitted as an undergraduate in medicine. In 1975, he obtained the MB (Bachelor of Medicine) and ChB (Bachelor of Surgery) degrees at the University of Ghana Medical School. He was the best candidate in the final examination. He was also the winner of the Easmon Prize for being the best student in surgery.
He served as a House Officer
or intern at the Departments of Medicine and then Surgery, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital
, and later worked as a medical officer at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital
. He went to Germany
in 1978 for further studies, and spent more than ten years there, first for language studies at the Goethe Institute
at Radolfzell
in April and May 1978, then Boppard
from June to September of the same year, and eventually specialized in cardiothoracic surgery at the Medizinische Hochschule Hannover (Hannover Medical High school), Germany in Hanover
from October 1978 to December 1988, where he earned several academic qualifications. He qualified as a general, cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon. He subsequently worked as a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon and was one of the pioneers of the heart transplantation programme in Hannover, where he also taught both undergraduate and postgraduate Thorax, Cardio-thoracic and Vascular Surgery.
and limited childhood vaccinations, are greatly underserved due to lack of infrastructure, lack of funding, transportation, and quality and safety, making skilled speciality care a luxury often attained only by those rich enough to leave the country. Frimpong-Boateng also runs a charitable foundation, the Ghana Heart Foundation, that is responsible for paying for heart surgery for some indigent Ghanaians under his care. He joined the University of Ghana Medical School as a lecturer in 2000 and was promoted associate professor the same year. He was made a full professor in 2002. He also served as the head of the department of Surgery at the University of Ghana Medical School, , prior to his current appointment as the Chief Executive of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in 2002. He was elected to the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences in December 2002 and gave his inaugural lecture the following year.
for the December 2008 national presidential elections.
Frimpong-Boateng is a farmer. He established the first ostrich farm in Ghana, in the village of Dedukope, in the Volta Region
of Ghana. He also grows jatropha
and extracts the oil for the production of bio-diesel.
Frimpong-Boateng runs a CNC machine tool center that is able to produce spare parts with computer precision at the Free Zones enclave in the port city of Tema
.
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
ian cardiothoracic surgeon
Cardiac surgery
Cardiovascular surgery is surgery on the heart or great vessels performed by cardiac surgeons. Frequently, it is done to treat complications of ischemic heart disease , correct congenital heart disease, or treat valvular heart disease from various causes including endocarditis, rheumatic heart...
who was the Chief Executive Officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital
Korle Bu Teaching Hospital
The Korle Bu Teaching Hospital is the premier health care facility in Ghana. It is the only tertiary hospital in the southern part of Ghana and it is also a teaching hospital affiliated with the medical school of the University of Ghana...
in Accra
Accra
Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
. He established the National Cardiothoracic Center teaching young surgeons. He is also the director of Ghana's National Cardiothoracic Center, and President of the Ghana Heart Foundation and the Ghana Red Cross Society. Frimpong-Boateng was elected a Fellow of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences in December 2002.
Education and training, work in Germany
Frimpong-Boateng had his secondary education at Sekondi College in Sekondi in the Western RegionWestern Region (Ghana)
The Western Region of Ghana, reaching from the Côte d'Ivoire border in the west to the Central Region in the east, includes the large twin city of Sekondi-Takoradi on the coast, coastal Axim, and a hilly inland area including Elubo. It includes Ghana's southernmost location, Cape Three Points,...
of Ghana. He went to the University of Ghana
University of Ghana
The University of Ghana is the oldest and largest of the thirteen Ghanaian universities and tertiary institutions. It is one of the best universities in Africa and by far the most prestigious in West Africa...
in 1968 starting with a one year pre-science course and in 1969 he was admitted as an undergraduate in medicine. In 1975, he obtained the MB (Bachelor of Medicine) and ChB (Bachelor of Surgery) degrees at the University of Ghana Medical School. He was the best candidate in the final examination. He was also the winner of the Easmon Prize for being the best student in surgery.
He served as a House Officer
Medical intern
A medical intern is a term used in the United States for a physician in training who has completed medical school. An intern has a medical degree, but does not have a full license to practice medicine unsupervised...
or intern at the Departments of Medicine and then Surgery, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital
Korle Bu Teaching Hospital
The Korle Bu Teaching Hospital is the premier health care facility in Ghana. It is the only tertiary hospital in the southern part of Ghana and it is also a teaching hospital affiliated with the medical school of the University of Ghana...
, and later worked as a medical officer at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital
Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital
The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, Ghana, is the second-largest hospital in the country and the only tertiary health institution in the Ashanti Region. It is the main referral hospital for the Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions.The hospital was built in...
. He went to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1978 for further studies, and spent more than ten years there, first for language studies at the Goethe Institute
Goethe-Institut
The Goethe-Institut is a non-profit German cultural institution operational worldwide, promoting the study of the German language abroad and encouraging international cultural exchange and relations. The Goethe-Institut also fosters knowledge about Germany by providing information on German...
at Radolfzell
Radolfzell
Radolfzell am Bodensee is a town in Germany at the western end of Lake Constance approximately 18 km northwest of Konstanz. It is the third largest town, after Constance and Singen, in the district of Konstanz, in Baden-Württemberg....
in April and May 1978, then Boppard
Boppard
Boppard is a town in the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, lying in the Rhine Gorge, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It belongs to no Verbandsgemeinde. The town is also a state-recognized tourism resort and is a winegrowing centre.-Location:Boppard lies on the upper Middle...
from June to September of the same year, and eventually specialized in cardiothoracic surgery at the Medizinische Hochschule Hannover (Hannover Medical High school), Germany in Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
from October 1978 to December 1988, where he earned several academic qualifications. He qualified as a general, cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon. He subsequently worked as a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon and was one of the pioneers of the heart transplantation programme in Hannover, where he also taught both undergraduate and postgraduate Thorax, Cardio-thoracic and Vascular Surgery.
Return to Ghana
Frimpong-Boateng returned to Ghana to practice as Ghana's first locally based cardiothoracic surgeon. This involved setting up the National Cardiothoracic Centre at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital as there were no cardiothoracic surgery facilities in the country at the time. This opened in 1992. In Ghana, primary health care issues such as malariaMalaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
and limited childhood vaccinations, are greatly underserved due to lack of infrastructure, lack of funding, transportation, and quality and safety, making skilled speciality care a luxury often attained only by those rich enough to leave the country. Frimpong-Boateng also runs a charitable foundation, the Ghana Heart Foundation, that is responsible for paying for heart surgery for some indigent Ghanaians under his care. He joined the University of Ghana Medical School as a lecturer in 2000 and was promoted associate professor the same year. He was made a full professor in 2002. He also served as the head of the department of Surgery at the University of Ghana Medical School, , prior to his current appointment as the Chief Executive of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in 2002. He was elected to the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences in December 2002 and gave his inaugural lecture the following year.
Politics
In March 2006, Frimpong-Boateng announced his intention to seek the nomination as the candidate of the New Patriotic PartyNew Patriotic Party
-External links:*...
for the December 2008 national presidential elections.
Achievements
- 1992 - Established the National Cardio Thoracic Centre which is now recognised by the West African College of Surgeons to train heart surgeons, cardiologists, cardiac anaesthetists, operating room nurses, intensive care nurses, cardiac technicians, and other cardiothoracic technicians.(1992)
- Performed the first open-heart surgery in Ghana using the heart-lung-machine.
- Established the Ghana Heart Foundation to raise funds to assist those who cannot afford the cost of heart surgery.
- 1999 - Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana (CIMG) Marketing Man of the Year.
- September 10, 2004 - Honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of Education, WinnebaUniversity of Education, WinnebaThe University of Education at Winneba is a university in Winneba, Ghana. Its main aim is to train teachers for the education system of Ghana.-Organization:The university has twenty-nine Academic departments and centres, six Faculties...
.
Awards
- Certificate of appreciation from Orphanage International Ministry in recognition of humanitarian service to Cardio Centre at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and to society in Ghana at large especially orphan children 27 July 2002.
- Recognition award from Soviet (CIS) trained doctors association for devoted and meritorious service to Ghana, 5 December 2001.
- Certificate of Distinction from Sapphire Ghana Ltd. For outstanding contribution to National Development, August 1999.
- Award from Enterprise Insurance Company, Ghana in recognition of efforts, achievements, perseverance and success, 1999.
- Millennium Excellence Award Recipient as personality of the decade, December 1999.
- Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana, Marketing Man of the Year 1999.
- Co-recipient of the 2003 special award from the Ghana Chartered Institute of Marketing to the Centre for Technology-Driven Economic Development (CTED).
- Recognition award from the civil service of Ghana for meritorious services rendered to the Ghana Civil Service and the people of Ghana, 1998.
- St Luke’s Day award from the Sr. Michael and All Saints Anglican Church Korle Gonno, Accra, Ghana for distinguished service as a medical doctor in the service of the Lord, 1993.
- Nobles International Award in recognition of status as an eminent West African who believes in Honesty, Integrity and Accountability, 28th Nov. 2003.
- UN Volunteers Certificate of appreciation in recognition of voluntary contribution to national development, International Voluntary Day, December 5, 2005.
- Asante of Honour Award presented by Otumfuo, Asantehene, 25 November 2005.
- Personality of the year award 2004, by the People of the Western Region of Ghana for outstanding contribution towards the Development and promotion of Ghana, Sept 2005.
- Personality of the Decade, awarded by the Millennium Excellence Foundation 2005.
Personal life
Frimpong-Boateng’s father, Kofi Frimpong died from chest injuries he sustained in a road traffic accident prior to his birth. He is a Christian. He has a wife, Agnes, with whom he has five children, one of whom is a promising athlete.Frimpong-Boateng is a farmer. He established the first ostrich farm in Ghana, in the village of Dedukope, in the Volta Region
Volta Region
Volta Region is one of Ghana's ten administrative regions. It is to the east of Lake Volta. Its capital is Ho.-List of districts:The region has 18 districts consisting of 3 municipal and 15 ordinary districts:-Background:...
of Ghana. He also grows jatropha
Jatropha
Jatropha is a genus of approximately 175 succulent plants, shrubs and trees , from the family Euphorbiaceae. The name is derived from the Greek words ἰατρός , meaning "physician," and τροφή , meaning "nutrition," hence the common name physic nut. Mature plants produce separate male and female...
and extracts the oil for the production of bio-diesel.
Frimpong-Boateng runs a CNC machine tool center that is able to produce spare parts with computer precision at the Free Zones enclave in the port city of Tema
Tema
Tema is a city on the Atlantic coast of Ghana, lying east of the Ghanaian capital city, Accra, in the region of Greater Accra. As of 2005, Tema had a population of 209,000. The Greenwich Meridian passes directly through the city...
.