Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng

Infobox Person
name = Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng


image_size =
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birth_date = 1950
birth_place = Ghana
death_date =
death_place =
occupation = Cardiothoracic Surgeon
spouse = Mrs. Agnes Frimpong-Boateng
parents = Kofi Frimpong (father)
children = Kwesi and 4 others

Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng is a Ghanaian cardiothoracic surgeon who is the Chief Executive Officer of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra. He was the first black person to perform heart transplant and he also established the National Cardiothoracic Center teaching young surgeons. He is also the Director of Ghana's National Cardiothoracic Center, and President of the Ghana Heart Foundation and the Ghana Red Cross Society. [cite web |url=http://www.ifrc.org/address/gh.asp |title=Directory |accessdate=2007-03-27 |publisher=Ghana Red Cross Society] Frimpong-Boateng was elected a Fellow of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences in December 2002. [cite web |url=http://www.gaas-gh.org/pages/fellow_members.htm |title=Membership - Fellows of the GAAS |accessdate=2007-03-27 |work=Official website |publisher=Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences]

Education and training

Frimpong-Boateng had his secondary education at Sekondi College in Sekondi in the Western Region of Ghana. He gained admission to the University of Ghana in 1968 as an undergraduate in medicine. In 1975, he obtained the MB (Bachelor of Medicine) and ChB (Bachelor of Surgery) degrees at the University of Ghana Medical School. He was the best candidate in the final examination. He was also the winner of the Easmon Prize for being the best student in surgery.cite web |url=http://www.frimpongboateng.com/08/about-frimpong-boateng.php |title=Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng's Biography |accessdate=2007-03-27 |work=Presidential Campaign website |publisher=Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng]

He served as a House Officer or intern at the Departments of Medicine and then Surgery, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, and later worked as a Medical Officer at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. He went to Germany in 1978 for further studies, and spent more than ten years there, first for language studies at the Goethe Institute at Radolfzell in April and May 1978, then Boppard from June to September of the same year, and eventually specialized in cardiothoracic surgery at the Medizinische Hochschule Hannover (Hannover Medical High school), Germany [cite web |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9907E2DB1730F936A3575BC0A96F958260&n=Top%2fNews%2fWorld%2fCountries%20and%20Territories%2fGhana |title= A Mender of Hearts Finds Fulfillment at Home |accessdate=2007-03-27 |date=August 5, 1999 |author=Normitsu Onishi |work=Accra Journal |publisher="The New York Times"] in Hanover from October 1978 to December 1988, where he earned several academic qualifications. He qualified as a general, cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon. He subsequently worked as a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon and was one of the pioneers of the heart transplantation programme in Hannover, where he also taught both undergraduate and postgraduate Thorax, Cardio-thoracic and Vascular Surgery.cite web |url=http://www.highana.com/hgsite/today/read.php?nid=6851&mymax=75 |title='Run On NPP Ticket' Frimpong-Boateng |accessdate=2007-03-27 |date 16 March 2006 |author=George Folley Quaye |publisher=HiGhana.com ]

Career

Frimpong-Boateng is renowned for returning to his native Ghana from a surgical career in Germany to practice as Ghana's first locally based cardiothoracic surgeon. This involved setting up the National Cardiothoracic Centre at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital as there were no cardiothoracic surgery facilities in the country at the time. This opened in 1992. [cite web |url=http://www.peacefmonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5414&Itemid=31 |title=P.V. Obeng 'backs' Frimpong-Boateng |accessdate=2007-03-27 |date=23 February 2007 |work=Political Section |publisher=PeacePeacefm Online |quote=Mr Obeng recalled how, against all odds, Prof Frimpong-Boateng, who is the current Chief Executive of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, persevered to establish and commission a Cardiothoracic Centre in 1992. ] In Ghana, primary health care issues such as malaria and limited childhood vaccinations, are greatly underserved due to lack of infrastructure, lack of funding, transportation, and quality and safety, making skilled speciality care a luxury often attained only by those rich enough to leave the country. Frimpong-Boateng also runs a charitable foundation, the Ghana Heart Foundation, that is responsible for paying for heart surgery for some indigent Ghanaians under his care. He joined the University of Ghana Medical School as a lecturer in 2000 and was promoted associate professor the same year. He was made a full professor in 2002. He also served as the head of the department of Surgery at the University of Ghana Medical School, , prior to his current appointment as the Chief Executive of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in 2002.cite web |url=http://www.frimpongboateng.com/ |title=Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng |accessdate=2007-03-27 |Official website |publisher=Korle Bu Neuroscience Foundation] He was elected to the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences in December 2002 and gave his inaugural lecture the following year. [cite web |url=http://www.gaas-gh.org/pages/activities/inaugural_lectures.htm |title=Activities - Inaugural Lectures |accessdate=2007-03-27 |work=Official website |publisher=Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences |quote=In 2003, there were two outstanding Inaugural Lectures: ' ... and 'The Future of Cardio thoracic Surgery in Ghana' presented by Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng. Both lectures focused on issues of health, life style, and resource development.]

Politics

In March 2006, Frimpong-Boateng announced his intention to seek the nomination as the candidate of the New Patriotic Party for the December 2008 national presidential elections. [cite web |url=http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=101320 |title=Race For Kufuor's Successor... |accessdate=2007-03-27 |date= 21 March 2006 |work=Politics of Thursday, 21 March 2006 |publisher=Ghana Home Page] [cite web |url=http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=101483 |title=Korle Bu CEO receives endorsement from key NPP leaders |accessdate=2007-03-27 |date= 23 March 2006 |work=Politics of Thursday, 23 March 2006 |publisher=Ghana Home Page]

Achievements

* 1985 - First black person to do a heart transplant in the world.cite web |url=http://www.frimpongboateng.com/08/node/84 |title=Who is Frimpong Boateng |accessdate=2007-03-27 |work=Presidential Campaign Website |publisher=Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng]
* 1988 - Performed the first heart/lung transplant in Hanover, Germany.
* 1992 - Established the National Cardio Thoracic Centre which is now recognised by the West African College of Surgeons to train heart surgeons, cardiologists, cardiac anaesthetists, operating room nurses, intensive care nurses, cardiac technicians, and other cardiothoracic technicians.(1992) [cite web |url=http://www.graphicghana.com/article.asp?artid=15624 |title=Cardiothoracic Centre Trains 30 Surgeons |accessdate=2007-03-27 |date=February 23, 2007 |author=Abdul Aziz |work=TOP STORIES |publisher=Graphic Communications Group Limited |quote=The National Cardiothoracic Centre at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, has trained 30 cardiothoracic surgeons since its inception in 1992.]
* Performed the first open-heart surgery in Ghana using the heart-lung-machine.
* Established the Ghana Heart Foundation to raised funds to assist those who cannot afford the cost of heart surgery.
* 1999 - Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana (CIMG) Marketing Man of the Year.
* September 10, 2004 - Honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of Education, Winneba.

Personal life

Frimpong-Boateng’s father, Kofi Frimpong died from chest injuries he sustained in a road traffic accident prior to his birth. He is a Christian. He has a wife, Agnes, with whom he has five children, one of which is a promising athlete. [cite web |url=http://umassathletics.cstv.com/sports/m-track/mtt/frimpongboateng_kwesi00.html |title=Kwesi Frimpong-Boateng Profile |accessdate=2007-03-27 |work=Official University of Massaachusetts Athletics Website |publisher=University of Massaachusetts]

Notes

Publication

External links

Personal Website of [http://www.frimpongboateng.com Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng]
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9907E2DB1730F936A3575BC0A96F958260 New York Times Feature on Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng]
* [http://ejcts.ctsnetjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/14/5/527 Cardiopulmonary bypass in sickle cell anaemia without exchange transfusion]
* [http://www.frimpongboateng.com/08/files/flash/videos.html Prof Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng Video Interviews ]