Ghanaian media personality Afia Pokua, popularly known as Vim Lady, has reminded Ghanaians that politicians seeking medical treatment abroad is nothing new, revealing that even former President Jerry John Rawlings went to London for care under a false identity.
“Rawlings himself, the man many hail as a nationalist, went to London for medical care. He used the name ‘Paul Gyamfi’ just to access treatment. Why? Because even back then, the system wasn’t reliable,” she disclosed on Gyaso Gyaso programme monitored by MyNewsGh.
Vim Lady argued that this longstanding trend highlights a deeper issue—Ghana’s failing healthcare system and the hypocrisy of leaders who do little to fix it while seeking better medical services elsewhere. She pointed to Rawlings’ own daughter, Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, as another example.
“If our healthcare system and medical education were that strong, why didn’t Rawlings ensure his daughter studied medicine here?” she questioned, noting that Zanetor was sent to Northern Ireland for medical school instead of enrolling at the University of Ghana Medical School.
For Vim Lady, the real problem is not just politicians traveling abroad for treatment, but the lack of commitment to improving Ghana’s healthcare sector. She urged citizens to shift the conversation from political attacks to demanding meaningful reforms.
“Instead of making noise and pointing fingers, let’s demand better healthcare policies. If we don’t fix our hospitals, today it’s Naana Jane, tomorrow it could be someone else. Let’s stop the hypocrisy!” she stressed.
