In a demonstration of her enduring commitment to community health, Dr. Grace Ayensu Danquah, the current Deputy Minister of Health and the former NDC candidate for Essikado Ketan, organized a free reconstructive surgery screening on Wednesday, August 28, 2024. Drawing hundreds of participants to the local health centre, the event offered diagnostic evaluations for injuries, congenital malformations, and post‐trauma scarring that many residents had long lacked the means to address.
A US‐trained plastic surgery specialist, Dr. Ayensu Danquah has channeled her expertise through the Dr. Grace Foundation since 2011, spearheading initiatives that bridge the gap between specialised medical care and the financial realities of her Western Region constituents. Her foundation’s portfolio spans vision clinics, maternal‐child health outreaches, and now, reconstructive plastic surgery screenings—all designed to uplift socio‐economic conditions by prioritizing physical wellbeing as a precursor to community resilience.
The screening exercise focused on identifying candidates in need of reconstructive procedures and guiding them through treatment pathways that would otherwise cost upwards of GHS 5,000 at private facilities. By tapping into partnerships with volunteer specialists and subsidized service providers, the initiative enabled participants to collectively save over GHS 500,000 in anticipated medical expenses, illustrating the scale of unmet surgical needs in the constituency.
Residents who benefited from the screening expressed profound gratitude for Dr. Ayensu Danquah’s unwavering support. One participant, a mother of three with a longstanding facial scar from childhood trauma, described the screening as “a lifeline” that restored her hope for moving beyond years of self‐consciousness. Community members repeatedly said that fees ranging between GHS 5,000 and GHS 7,000 would have been prohibitive without the free service provision. In an interview on the sidelines of the exercise, Dr. Ayensu Danquah reaffirmed that health underpins every facet of social and economic development.
“ I am dedicated to ensuring the well‐being of the people I aim to serve come December 7, 2024. Their health is my utmost priority, which is why I have been organizing these free healthcare initiatives since 2011 ”
Her words resonated with constituents who view accessible medical care as a fundamental right rather than a luxury. The significance of this reconstructive surgery screening extended beyond individual patient outcomes. In many parts of rural Ghana, access to plastic and reconstructive services remains limited to urban centres, leaving vulnerable populations without recourse for repair of traumatic injuries or congenital anomalies. By decentralizing specialist screenings, Dr. Ayensu Danquah not only addressed immediate health needs but also lays groundwork for long‐term capacity building in district health infrastructures.
Politically, the initiative aligned with her campaign platform, which centered on healthcare as a cornerstone of human dignity and economic inclusion. Constituents have drawn connections between the screening exercises and broader policy proposals to expand the National Health Insurance Scheme’s benefits package to cover reconstructive procedures. Such advocacy hints at the potential for candidate‐led programmes to inform future legislation once elected to Parliament.
As the Dr. Grace Foundation celebrated over a decade of service, this screening cemented a legacy of preventive and restorative health interventions. Past efforts—including free eye‐care clinics and maternal health workshops—have reached thousands, but the introduction of reconstructive plastic surgery screening marks a new milestone. It signals a shift toward comprehensive approaches that address both visible and hidden wounds within the community fabric.
By bringing specialised medical expertise directly to Essikado Ketan, Dr. Ayensu Danquah has illuminated a path for other public figures to follow. Her model demonstrates that targeted, locally driven health initiatives can yield measurable economic and psychosocial benefits. As the constituency moved toward the December elections, the screening stood as a testament to what sustained, grassroots healthcare interventions could achieve in bolstering both individual wellbeing and collective progress.
Source: NDC’s Grace Ayensu Danquah offers free reconstructive surgery screening in Essikado Ketan
