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2 breast cancer survivors share their stories with The Spectator
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Mrs Vivian Gyasi- Sarfo
Two women who have survived breast cancer through the instrumentality of the president of Breast Care International(BCI) Dr(Mrs) Beatrice Wiafe Addai have shared their experiences, exclusively with The Spectator to mark this year’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October).
Dr Wiafe Addai is again the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Peace and Love Hospitals in Accra and Kumasi.
Her contribution to the fight against breast cancer in Ghana can never be swept under the carpet following the number of human lives she has saved.
Mrs. Vivian Gyasi-Sarfo, President of Peace and Love Survivors Association (PALSA) stated that she was 47 years old when she began feeling pain in her breast and losing weight which resulted in other sickness.
“I didn’t know I had lump in my right breast. I only experienced some thickness close to my armpit, dizziness, and pains around my chest” she disclosed.
The breast cancer survivor, having survived cancer for the past 18 years said she visited the hospital when the disease was at stage one because she was aware she had a family history and this made her treatment easier.
President of Peace and Love Survivors Association told The Spectator that as part of her treatment she went through breast conservation, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and later did her surgery.
Talking about her challenges after the treatment Mrs. Gyasi- Sarfo said she lost interest in sex and lost her hair during her chemotherapy.
She urged the public to disregard the notion that breast cancer was not treatable, adding that over 300 others in the Association were living witnesses to the curable nature of cancer.
She stated that, she was now confident and a better version of herself stressing that “it has taken me to places like South Africa, Abidjan, Germany, Malaysia etc for conferences”
“Sometimes I wish the world could see us when we gather for our meetings so that they will know the exploits of Dr Wiafe Addai in helping us recover from cancers for so many years ’’
“The possibility of getting breast cancer is real, so anytime you see a breast screening programme somewhere find the time and get screened because the end stage of it is very terrible,” she said
Madam Joyce Aidoo, another survivor of breast cancer for the past nine years said she was diagnosed with breast cancer after she had her first daughter, and decided to seek herbal treatment but to no avail.
She recounted that a man who was diagnosed with breast cancer directed her to Peace and Love Hospital to seek early treatment and she has never regretted taking that bold step.
According to her, she became a laughing stock in her community because her right breast was becoming bigger and bigger which resulted in her husband divorcing her.
Miss Aidoo said her treatment was breast conservation, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
With excitement, she said even though she had lost her right breast she used silicone.
She disclosed that she had never had any complications after surgery and advised women not to be afraid when the need arose for their breast to be cut off.
“I will use this opportunity to thank Dr. Wiafe and her team for the special care given to me. If we do not shake the conscience of the public about this reality, we will wallow in self-deception and self-denial about this disturbing trend, as our women perish, even though a cure exists,” she stressed.
Breast Cancer, a non-communicable disease is the number one killer among women. The fight against the disease is a global one and Ghana is no exception.
About 4,650 women are diagnosed with breast cancer annually in Ghana but more than 2,000 women die annually.
Every year, October is set aside as breast cancer month to create awareness about the non-communicable disease.
Interestingly, the myth surrounding the disease makes a lot of people to go for herbal treatment or prayer camps or resort to concotions at the high risk of losing their lives.
Yet, others have been able to survive the breast cancer after going through treatment and this is how two survivors shared their success stories with The Spectator.
By Linda Abrefi Wadie
General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Kodua Frimpong, has filed his nomination to contest the position of General Secretary again as the party begins its rebuilding efforts ahead of the 2028 general elections.
He was accompanied by party stalwarts and supporters who were in high spirits, expressing confidence that he is the right person to hold the position.
Speaking after filing his nomination, Mr Kodua Frimpong assured the rank and file of the party that he would not disappoint them.
“I can assure you that the faith the rank and file of the party have had in me, I will never disappoint them,” he said.
He also pledged to run a clean campaign devoid of personal attacks.
“I can assure you that our internal campaign will be devoid of personal attacks,” he told his fellow contestants and the rank and file of the party as he seeks to retain his position.
His tenure has seen the party through the 2024 general elections, where the NPP lost power to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) after eight years in government.
The party is currently in a rebuilding phase, with internal elections scheduled to elect new national executives to lead its reorganization towards the 2028 polls.
The General Secretary position is considered one of the most influential in the party’s administrative structure, responsible for the day-to-day running of the party secretariat and implementation of party decisions.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) has disputed claims made on social media by comedian Michael Blackson concerning the treatment given to his late mother, saying a review found that the allegations did not accurately reflect what happened during her stay at the hospital.
In a statement issued in Accra on August 5, 2026, the management of UGMC expressed condolences to Mr. Blackson and his family over the death of his 83-year-old mother, who died at the facility on July 16, 2026.
The hospital said it had taken the concerns raised by Mr. Blackson seriously and conducted a thorough review in line with its clinical and administrative procedures.
According to the statement, the facts presented by Mr. Blackson on social media contained “numerous inaccuracies” and did not accurately reflect the medical care provided to his mother.
UGMC explained that she was referred to the facility from another hospital and received treatment there from May 27 to July 16, 2026, a period of about eight weeks.
The hospital stated that it would not release details of her diagnosis, treatment, medical records or other aspects of her care because it had a duty to protect patient confidentiality, even after death.
It said the decision was intended to respect the dignity of the deceased and the privacy of her family.
UGMC further stated that all clinical decisions at the facility are made by qualified healthcare professionals based on medical judgment, established standards of care and the best interests of the patient.
The statement added that such decisions are made in consultation with authorised family representatives where necessary and that billing and financial procedures are governed by institutional policies and are separate from clinical decision-making.
The hospital noted that it values feedback from patients and their families and considers both positive and negative comments important for improving the quality of care.
Mr. Blackson had earlier used social media to criticise the care his mother received at UGMC, prompting the hospital’s response.
By: Jacob Aggrey
