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President John Dramani Mahama has said that Vice President Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang’s hospitalisation abroad underscores the urgent need to strengthen Ghana’s health facilities to manage emergency cases locally.
He made the remarks yesterday, Thursday, 22 May 2025, during a welcome ceremony held at Kotoka International Airport in Accra to mark the Vice President’s return from London, United Kingdom.
“…I think in all this, it raises the issue of us improving our healthcare so that we can handle emergencies like this. We built a critical hospital, which is the UGMC, but it’s still not at the stage where it can handle some of these cases.
“And so, it’s a call to duty that we should implement it the way Professor Mills had intended it to be, so that in the future, emergencies like this can be handled without us having to fly out,” he said.
The Vice President fell ill on 28 March this year and was immediately flown abroad for medical treatment.
She was received at Kotoka International Airport by President Mahama, Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, Chief of Staff Julius Debrah, Vice President’s Chief of Staff Alex Segbefia, First Lady Lordina Mahama, members of the Vice President’s family, and the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church.
Welcoming her, President Mahama acknowledged the void her absence had created.
“…Your colleagues are very happy to have you back. I particularly have missed you, because even travelling out of the country has been difficult. They’ve threatened to impeach me for going to Togo when you were away. So, you are warmly welcome,” he said.
“On behalf of the people of Ghana, we wish to warmly welcome our beloved Vice President. It has been a trying time for everybody, and a lot of prayers were said for your safe return. So today is a special day that you have stepped back into the country, onto the land of Ghana, looking younger, looking cheerful, and we thank God for His mercies.”
He continued: “Since you left, your colleagues—we’ve all missed you. We held a 120-day social contract programme, and everybody said you should have been there. But with all the work you did before you went, we continued, and I think that we were able to present to the people of Ghana a significant percentage of the things that we had promised. But in all this, you were missed. Ghana is safe, things seem to be on the right track, and you’ve come at the right time to continue the work that you so beautifully started.”
President Mahama also commended the staff of the Ghana High Commission in the UK for their support during Professor Opoku-Agyemang’s treatment.
“We are grateful to all the staff out there who looked after you—our embassy staff in London. I came there myself, and you told me how courteous they had been and how they had been of help,” he noted.
Urging the Vice President to prioritise her health, he added: “…We’re happy to have you. The doctors say you are 20 years younger, and that you are okay and fit for the job. But we’ll ask that you take it easy for a little while, and after that, we’ll see how things go. So, thank you very much, on behalf of all our colleagues, on behalf of all Ghanaians. I’m sure today, Ghanaians will be very happy. I want to say thanks to God.”
Speaking to journalists at the airport, Professor Opoku-Agyemang expressed her gratitude to all those who supported her during her illness.
“His mercies have been infinite, as always, and I’m very grateful. I express gratitude to the medical staff, too, for seeing the right thing, for making the right proposals. So I’m very happy to be back, and there’s so much that has happened that we all need to do. And I know that with our collective will, we’ll do much more for our country,” she said.
She thanked President Mahama for his immediate action when her condition worsened.
“And to my boss. That day, I don’t know where you appeared from, but he came and quickly set in motion what we needed to do. And I also want to thank all of you—your prayers, your good wishes. I can’t be thankful enough,” she said.
The Vice President also singled out President Mahama’s brother, Mr Ibrahim Mahama, for special praise.
“I’m very grateful. But I need to isolate, beyond family and friends, your brother, Mr Ibrahim. He stopped at nothing to ensure that I had what I needed. And then he also came to the hospital. He came to sit by me, and that was healing by itself. So, my little boss, I’m very, very grateful,” she said.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang’s health became a matter of public concern after reports emerged that she had taken ill on Friday, 28 March 2025. She was initially admitted to the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) before being flown abroad.
A statement issued by the Office of the President on Sunday, 30 March, confirmed that she had received initial treatment at UGMC and would continue treatment overseas.
Her return marks the end of her medical leave, and she is expected to resume her official duties shortly.
In her final remarks, Professor Opoku-Agyemang thanked Ghanaians for their prayers and expressed her deep appreciation to her doctors, the UGMC staff, and the Mahama family for their unwavering support.
In a light-hearted moment, President Mahama commented: “Even travelling outside the country became difficult; they threatened to impeach me for going to Togo while you were away,” drawing laughter from those gathered. “So I’m probably the most excited to have you back.”
He reflected once more on the state of Ghana’s healthcare system: “We built a world-class facility in UGMC, but it’s still not fully equipped to manage complex cases like this. It’s a reminder that we must complete it as President Mills envisioned, so that future emergencies can be handled locally.”
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