Professor Yaw Adu-Gyamfi MBChB, FRCA, FWACS, FGA,

Professor Yaw Adu-Gyamfi was the first of the pioneers to go for postgraduate studies, in Anaesthesiology and Critical Care. He obtained his Fellowship of the Royal College of Anaesthetists of England (FRCA) in February 1974 and returned to Ghana in September 1975 to become the first of the pioneers to join the teaching staff of UGMS. He became a Fellow of the West African College of Surgeons (FWACS) and in 1976 was a member of the local organizing committee that organized the conference in Ghana.

Prof Adu-Gyamfi joined the advocacy group that promoted the setting up of the Ghana Postgraduate College which resulted in the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons. He was a member of the Foundation Executive Board and the inception Chairman of the Faculty of Anaesthesiology. He was given a Meritorious Award on the 10th Anniversary of the College, and he is the current Chairman of the Council of the College of Physicians and Surgeons. He is a full Professor and has quietly been pursuing and promoting qualitative and quantitative improvement in Anaesthesiology and Critical Care in Ghana. He was once Head of UGMS’ Department of Anaesthesia and Critical Care.

He is a Fellow of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (FGA) and worked as a Consultant Trainer for UNFPA for five years, in Sierra Leone. He trained anaesthesia personnel who contributed to a reduction in maternal mortality from 2000 deaths per 100,000 live births to 800 per 100,000 during his tenure. He also advocated for the setting up of the Ghana Health Insurance Scheme and joined in the preparatory work. He subsequently served as Chairman of the Board of the National Health Insurance Authority from 2017 to 2020. He was the President of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) from 2003 to 2005 and used his Presidency to promote health insurance and reform of the Additional Duty Hours Allowance (ADHA).

As a student, he was the third President of the Ghana Medical Student Association and represented Ghana at the 1968 conference of IFMSA in Helsinki. He convened a conference of all Africa Medical Student Associations out of which was established the All Africa Medical Student Association. Currently, he serves on the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 and the National Technical and Coordinating Committee of the Ministry of Health.

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