A three-day conference aimed at developing the potential of women in various fields of medicine globally is underway in Accra.
Their capacity is being built to enable them to take up leadership positions in the health sector in their respective countries and regions.
Dubbed “Women in Medicine Global Leadership Fellowship”, 69 women in medicine drawn from 16 countries from Latin America, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and sub-Saharan Africa are attending the conference. It is being organised by Operation Smile Global Programmes, a medical charity organisation that provides free, life-changing surgical care to individuals born with cleft lip and cleft palate.
Participants are being taken through a series of modules, including leadership development, communication skills, project design and implementation, as well as how to conduct research and manage resources.
They are expected to become fellows of the programme after the training.
Concerns
The Deputy Minister of Health, Professor Grace Ayensu Danquah, said women constituted a significant portion of the healthcare workforce globally; however, their representation in leadership and specialised fields remained disproportionately low.
She, therefore, called for the creation of an enabling environment that supported women to assume leadership roles within health institutions, academic and policy spaces.
“We must collectively work to ensure equitable access to training opportunities, particularly in specialised and surgical disciplines.
“Addressing significant barriers and promoting inclusive research will be critical to achieving these goals,” Prof. Danquah said.
She further urged young women in medicine to strive for excellence, pursue leadership opportunities, and remain committed to making a difference in their respective fields, adding that their contributions were essential to shaping resilient and inclusive health systems for the future.
Prof. Danquah commended Operation Smile for its dedication and support.
Imbalance
The Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Caroline Reindolf Amissah, said the imbalance in leadership positions in the healthcare workforce presented both a challenge and an opportunity.
She said that women brought a unique perspective to the table when it came to leadership, which she said was often grounded in empathy, collaboration, adaptability and a strong connection to community needs.
“These qualities are essential in building responsive and resilient health systems.
When we invest in women in medicine, we are not only supporting individual careers; we are strengthening families, communities, and entire health systems, thereby ensuring a more sustainable and impactful future for our countries,” Dr Amissah said.
Women in medicine
A specialist in Women in Medicine of Operation Smile Global programmes, Sana Elahi Ansari, explained it was an initiative with the ultimate goal to provide more women in the healthcare workforce with forward mobility, so that they could lead in the global health workforce, and ultimately reach their goal to provide more patients with access to high-quality care.
She said to achieve that goal, the organisation designed and built the Women in Medicine Global Leadership Fellowship, which would provide them with a supportive community and mentorship for nine months to be able to start their leadership journey.
For his part, the Medical Director of Operation Smile Ghana, Dr Opoku Ware Ampomah, said the fellowship programme recognised that clinical skill was just a foundation, while leadership was the engine of change.
He said by gathering in Ghana to sharpen leadership, research, and management skills of women in medicine, the participants were doing more than advancing individual careers; “they are literally strengthening nations”.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh