"We Have Become Masters of Curative Medicine and Poor at Prevention" — Former Ledzokuku MP

The Former Member of Parliament for Ledzokuku Constituency and aspiring Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the NPP, who served as Guest Speaker at the commissioning of the new Wellness and Adolescent Clinic at Oblogo Health Centre, has called for an urgent national shift from curative to preventive healthcare.

The clinic, built by the MP for Weija Gbawe Constituency and Second Deputy Minority Whip, was commissioned and handed over on Friday, 7th August 2026.

Addressing guests at the event, the former Deputy Health Minister lamented that Ghana’s health budget continues to rise every year because the focus remains on treating the sick instead of preventing illness.

"Every year we see our health budget in terms of what we use to take care of diseases going up. It keeps on increasing every year. Now when we go and sit in the strategy room we're always finding ways to collect more money and pay more for taking care of the sick. What we have not done well is to look at how to prevent sickness in the first place from happening," he said.

He noted that Ghana inherited a hospital-centered health system from the British and has since become "masters at curative medicine and very bad at preventive medicine."

The former MP stressed that wellness centers are the right place to ensure people live healthy lives and avoid falling sick. He urged citizens to know basic health indicators, asking: "Most of us if they ask us what our phone number is we'll write it right now. But when they ask you what is your blood pressure? Can you give us the figures? Are you sure of the figures? When we ask you what is your fasting blood sugar? You don't know your fasting blood sugar."

He also highlighted the importance of the adolescent component of the new clinic. Citing statistics, he said 70 to 80 percent of deaths in Ghana today are linked to high blood pressure and diabetes in adults.

"But those who are experiencing this, they were adolescents first. If somebody had given them some health education or the things to avoid as they enter into adulthood then we can avoid those figures," he explained.

He described the new facility as "the prevention hub to stop all the things that we are seeing" including kidney disease and other pathologies, and expressed excitement that the community now has a dedicated place for wellness and adolescent health education.

The event was also addressed by the Weija Gbawe Municipal Health Director, *Dr. Mrs. Jennifer Mintah Andoh*, and was attended by health officials, traditional authorities and community members.