::: Made in Africa...Prof. Dr. Charles Yankah :::
...Professor Yankah Deutsches Herzzentrum Berlin...
Prof. Dr. Charles
Yankah, our wave for the month of August.
Prof. Yankah is a
cardio-thoracic and vascular surgeon, the president and founder of African
Cultural Institute (Afrika Kulturinstitut e.V.) and Pan African Society for
Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (PASCaTS) respectively. A special professor at the
department of cardiothoracic surgery, University of Free State, Bloemfontein,
South Africa. He co-developed the German Heart Center Berlin in 1986 (Deutsches
Herzzentrum Berlin- DHZB), the third biggest heart center in the world. An
adviser to the Bundespresident, Prof. Horst Köhler in January 2007 during his
official visit to various countries in Africa. He is a family man with so much
love for his continent of origin Africa. His ambition is to help develop and
improve cardiovascular medicine in Africa.
Prof. Yankah
is not just an innovative icon to his homeland Ghana but an embodiment of
inspiration to all of Africa and Europe as well. He is internationally well
known for his innovative work in transplantation immunology and clinical
implantation of human heart valves (homografts) and treatment of fatal infected
heart valve disease. He has written several articles and books on this work. He
was nominated by the African Heritage magazine as one of the 100 most
influential Africans in Germany, personally I will say in the world because his
work cuts across boundaries.
... Medical mission at the Cape Coast Regional Hospital, Ghana ...
The waves-team is
more than delighted to have him on our August edition of Made in Africa
Waves: Prof. Dr.
Yankah can you please briefly summarize your career path?
Prof. Yankah: I
started my medical studies in Hungary in 1962. Later on came to Kiel, Germany
and after a 6-months German language course in Bavaria I continued my medical
studies. I later on specialized in general surgery and undertook sub-specialty
training in cardio thoracic and vascular surgery at University Hospital in
Kiel. After my training I was invited to Liberia, Monrovia by the then minister
of health to establish a thoracic surgery unit at the John F. Kennedy Memorial
Hospital in Monrovia, where I performed the first heart operation on a 14 year
old girl with rheumatic heart valve disease. After the military coup d’état in
Liberia in 1980, I came back to Kiel and worked for 6 years before coming to
the Berlin Heart Centre.
Waves: How did you
finance your medical studies?
Prof. Yankah: Mainly
through private funds and scholarships.
Waves: What was the
key to your success in Germany, knowing that life in Germany back then was not
certainly easy and did not have many openings for Africans?
Prof. Yankah: I was
and still am very well integrated in the society, through club membership and
friendship where ever I lived and worked. This is a very important aspect of
cohabitation, especially if you want to succeed in a foreign land.
Waves: When we talk
about integration what kind of advice do you have for immigrants out there
especially those with African descent.
Prof. Yankah: The
problem with Africans is that they build a wall of blockage subconsciously for
themselves. They exclude themselves from a foreign culture. Integration is a
process of co-habitation with respect to each other’s culture. It requires a
mutual understanding and respect and a team work with a controlled emotion. We
migrate and resettle in a new environment because it offers a better standard
of living and opportunities. In order to profit from this new environment, we
have to cultivate a new behavior and a platform for ourselves, whereby we can
build a good network of contacts. This applies also to all African parents who
have children here in German and European societies. They have to encourage
their children to socialize by supporting and enabling them get involved in
social and sporting activities that are offered them in the area they live and
work. I am very grateful to my parents back home in Ghana for giving me the
opportunity to cultivate the habit of socializing and today it is paying off.
In other words, Africans need to get out of their comfort zones.
Waves: You were
actually selected amongst the 100 most prominent Africans in Germany based on
the various projects and contributions you carry out to help develop our
continent Africa. Can you please enlighten us on some of these projects?
Prof. Yankah: One of
my major projects is education. Education is the key to a sustainable mental
and physical development. It is my aim to train and teach students and young
doctors in the medical field to excel in the management of patients both in
Germany and in Africa as well as other parts of the world such as China where I
occasionally go on medical missions. I have projects in Ghana, Nigeria,
Tanzania, Kenya and Rwanda. The Pan African Association for Cardio- thoracic
Surgery (PASCaTS) is one of such projects aimed at promoting cardiac surgery in
Africa in collaboration with the local African surgeons and surgeons in the Diaspora. My
involvement in PASCaTS and in other projects as well is a way of giving back to
Africa, my knowledge and know-how to help improve the treatment of heart
patients for a better outcome. African Cultural Institute in collaboration with
the PASCaTS and the German Heart Institute Berlin organizes every year a Forum
in October. This year we have a date, on October 17th, 2014 in conjunction with
the 6th World Health Summit which was founded by Professor Ganten. The topics
of this year’s forum are: Health care economics, cardiology and cardiac surgery
in the emerging and developing countries: Challenges beyond the millennium
development goals 2015. The forum concludes with a round table discussion with
physicians, policy-makers and health care industries. You are invited to attend
the forum in Berlin.
Every year we invite
Ambassadors of different Nations to brief them on this forum and solicit
attendance of many African physicians to attend the forum as well. This year
the briefing of the Ambassadors took place on June 24 at the Federal Foreign
Office Berlin.
...International multisite video teleconference held at the deutsches Herzzentrum Berlin in october 2013 with physicians in Africa and India ...
Waves: Talking about cardiac surgery, there are actually no quality cardiac centers in Africa, despite the fact that we have quality surgeons like you. What is holding Africa back?
Waves: Talking about cardiac surgery, there are actually no quality cardiac centers in Africa, despite the fact that we have quality surgeons like you. What is holding Africa back?
Prof. Yankah: In sub-Saharan
Africa, European standard quality cardiac centers are based in South Africa.
The problems surrounding cardiac programs in sub-Saharan Africa excluding South
Africa are three fold: financial constraints, lack of good governance and
limited human resources and no governmental support. With a few exceptions,
cardiac programs are not integrated into the priority healthcare agenda
although one requires profound knowledge in open heart surgery to treat severe
chest trauma with cardiopulmonary involvement. This is a wakeup call for policy
makers in sub-Saharan Africa. Hospitals with poor infrastructures cannot
perform open heart surgery and treat severe heart injuries. Reasonable teaching
programs for young doctors, medical students and nurses cannot organized. Most
of the cardiac centers therefore depend on humanitarian missions to help
treat heart patients especially children with heart diseases and heart failure.
Currently, African
hospitals and physicians are confronted with the burden of cardiovascular
disease risk factors such as diabetes, essential hypertension and obesity. A
recent WHO health report shows that the leading causes of deaths in developing
countries by the year 2030 will be cardiovascular related and this is due to
the increasing standards of living coupled with stress, immobility and lack of
balanced diets.
Waves: What is your
advice to the young and upcoming African doctors of this generation, especially
in Germany?
Prof. Yankah: Africans
should maximally use the opportunities they have in Germany, get integrated into
the society, and be ambitious with a team spirit to achieve an aim. Integrated
youth programs should be promoted to allow the young generation to learn values
and standards to guide them in their mental and physical developments.
Waves: Do you have
any intentions of going back to Africa?
Prof. Yankah: Going
back is not the issue. My main concern is to help in developing cardiovascular
medicine and science in Africa, and this can be done by developing a network
for a regular transfer of knowledge to colleagues back at home and thereby
helping them to improve their work and results. The big picture is making the
world a better place.
Waves: Thank you very
much Prof. Yankah for taking off some time from your busy schedule to be part
of the Waves of the Moment.
Prof. Yankah: It was
a pleasure talking to you. Keep up with the good work.
Dear readers please
leave your comments and questions; Prof. Yankah will be more than delighted to
answer some of your questions.
Thank you!
A better tomorrow
starts with you…be the change we badly desire today!
From Primus: Great interview and interviewing. Keep it up!
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting to read about Prof. Yankah. I must admit that I haven't heard about this great personality but from what I have read, I can only pray that the good God grants him all he needs to carry out with the food job.
ReplyDeleteThumbs up for Waves!!!
Marvellous compte-rendu of a man with a mission, Thelma - thanks a ton!
ReplyDeleteWao..i have been hearing about Professor Yankah but never took time to read and know a bit about him. What a great man !!! Thanks Thelma ! You are doing a great job !
ReplyDeleteOnce more a great write up from the Waves team.
ReplyDeleteA question to Prof. Yankah: You have very well listed the good reasons why there is no functional cardiac surgery program in subsaharan Africa. What then is your concrete advice to young surgeons intending to give back something to their motherland and continent and why do you think giving up should not be an option despite the fact these same hurdles have persisted through generations without any change?
Thank you for your comments
DeleteBelow are some factors which have impact on the health care delivery system in sub-Saharan Africa.
The health care system in sub-Saharan Africa needs to be restructured in favour of private health care provision.
Regarding how to improve the Africa’s health care system, may I draw your attention to the following facts. It is well known that private investments finance about 60% of all health expenditure in Africa– generated from out-of-pocket payments by individuals, and about 50% of that go into private providers. The private health care sector also cares for the poor.
The national government therefore has to provide an environment for private investors, encourage Africans in diaspora as well, to participate in the development of a sustainable health care system to support the priority health care agenda.
Sustainability of a viable private health care system would require enforcement of quality standards, commercial health insurance projects, mobilizing the rich Africans to invest in their own countries, modifying local policies and regulations to attract the potential investors and improve access to capital.
The above would therefore provide investment opportunities in health care in SSA especially for the African in diaspora. The above imperatives should aim at improving the health care delivery especially specialized health care such as cardiac programs in sub-Saharan Africa in view of imminent cardiovascular disease epidemic in 2030.
Thanks for the reply. So If have understood clearly, this means we must wait for our local governments to mutate to that which supports and provides sustainable development and hope we find some rich african in the Diaspora willing to bear the risk of investing in his own insecure country. Till these conditions are met, we will continue having the present status quo...
DeleteTeam waves, I really find this format of providing a forum where intellectuals can be presented very interesting. And I am more than delighted that Prof. Yankah is prepared to answer some questions. Two issues bother me; the first is the Ebola crisis going on in Africa right now and the inability of our health sector, to do something. A typical case of the issues you mentioned in your interview; lack of finance, organization and structures, and the real problem, which is lack of good Governance. The second issue is the African summit going on right now, which many hope will bring about change, a new and bright era for Africa, and am very glad Dr. Chris Fomuyoh features on your blog too. Prof. Dr. Yankah and Dr. Chris Fomuyoh, you two have profound knowledge on issues concerning Africa, Why is it difficult to manage this crisis at hand, and why must we rely on western powers to solve crisis in Africa. Other continents are gradually growing why is Africa lacking behind?
ReplyDeleteReply to comments- Professor Yankah:
DeleteThank you for your comments and interest in the brain-storming discussions on this internet platform.
In the case of the Ebola I would recommend to the African national governments the following: while caring for the acute situation in collaboration with the WHO and international communities, African national governments should immediately strategically plan and establish as soon as possible nation-wide and across the continent a “task force” in the form of a mobile “Sanitary Inspectors” who will also function as an “Alarm System” in case of outbreak of a fatal disease. A similar task force was operating in the 50s in Ghana with a success. It interferes into the private affairs of individuals but it could be a life-saving health program in areas where illiteracy and lack of hygiene could be a threat to the nation.
“Given up” will never solve a national or a global problem. I would advice you never to give up but to abide by the values of humanity and not by emotion. One should express his views on things which are not functioning well through a media, networking and suggest practical solutions.
The documented messages on this platform addressed to the policy makers should be repeated untill there is a response and an indication for a change. They are wake up calls.
I have written some proposals about how to develop cardiac programs in sub-Saharan Africa based on a survey. The results of the survey were recently published in the German Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeon. The article is accessible on line. See the link
https://www.thieme-connect.de/products/ejournals/pdf/10.1055/s-0034-1383723.pdf
Great piece of work here Thelma. Prof. Yankah is really aspirational in what he has undertaken so far. Wish best is underway given outlined projects on the continent. It's worth nothing though that most of the issues highlighted as affecting the cardiac sector are systematic to health-care generally in Africa but we will surely get better. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
ReplyDelete