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Dr. Richard Baiden: ‘I had a dream but didn’t know how it was going to happen’
“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” — Walt Disney.
During interactions with his colleagues in basic school, he had constantly talked about becoming a medical doctor although he was not certain where the support would come from.
He was a teenager when his father died so there was hardly any hope of furthering his education beyond Junior High School.But by dint of hard work, tenacity and the support of his uncle, he has been able to achieve a dream which initially appeared unattainable.
That is the story of Dr. Richard Baiden, an Obstetrician Gynaecologist and the Medical Director at the Kaneshie Medical Centre, a subsidiary of The Community Hospitals Group in Accra, when he spoke about aspects of life and career in an interview with The Spectator.
Background
The specialist, who recently graduated from the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons in Accra, started his education at Beach Road Primary School at Saltpond popularly called ‘Akyemfo’ in the Central Region and continued at Lower Town Junior High School, where he obtained Basic Education Certificate in 2002.
“When I completed Junior High School, I wanted to go to Mfantsipim Secondary School but I had to drop the idea due to financial reasons.
“My uncle who was working at the Obuasi Mines at the time suggested I join him to enroll at Obuasi Secondary School,” he recalled.
At Obuasi Secondary School, he got a government scholarship based on his academic performance in Science.
Determined to make a mark, he worked harder and his final examination (Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) topped the scores in the Obuasi District in 2005.
In 2006, he gained admission to Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Medical School and graduated with Bachelor of Science (Bsc) Human Biology and Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MB ChB) in 2012.
After graduation, he did a two-year housemanship first at KomfoAnokye Teaching Hospital,Kumasi, and later at Asante AkyemAgogoPresby Hospital, all in the Ashanti Region and relocated to Accra in 2014 to join The Community Hospitals Group.
In 2019, he began the specialisation course and successfully completed in September 2022. In the course of his studies and career, he further obtained certificate in Leadership in Management and Health from the University of Washington.
Road to medicine
From humble beginnings, Dr. Baiden, acknowledged the rugged road he took from childhood through to medical school. Nonetheless, his personal commitment and divine intervention had contributed to the progress made over the years.
“I nearly gave up in my second and third year in the university. I was getting support but the financial challenges were still daunting but any time the thought of quitting came to mind, I had to reflect on where I came from and pick myself up and continue moving.
“I had a dream; I wanted to be a doctor but I didn’t know how it was going to happen but somehow it happened. It has been tough but somehow God saw me through,” he noted.
Impact
Having risen through the ranks to become a Medical Director, Dr. Baiden is one of the key specialists in-charge of maternity at the Ashongman Community Hospital and Kaneshie Medical Centre who help women undergo safe delivery.
Through collaboration and support from staff and team members, these facilities since their inception have been receiving positive feedback from patients as it continues to provide quality and reliable health services to the general public.
Apart from Kaneshie, The Community Hospitals Group has four other branches at Ashongman and Ashaiman, in Accra, and Oda and Kukurantumi in the Eastern Region.
The group provides holistic healthcare services in General Consultation, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Eye care, treatment for Ear, Nose and Throat, Paediatrics, among others.
Breast care
In line with the Breast Cancer Awareness campaign in the month of October, Dr. Baiden maintains that “breast cancer is curable if detected early.”
He says every woman should endeavour to know the anatomy (structure) of their breasts so they can quickly report and seek help from doctors when “there are any changes at any point in time.”
“It is important women pick a day in their monthly cycle (preferrably two or three days after their menses) to examine their breasts. Women who do not know how to do self-breast examination can visit any hospital or health facility close to them and be taught,” he notes.
Beyond self-examination, he again recommends clinical breast examination, at least once a year, for women aged 40 and above.
Future
Dr. Baiden, expressing optimism about the future of the Kaneshie Medical Centre, hopes to impact the community positively in the years ahead.
Advice
The Medical Director has, therefore, urged aspiring doctors to follow their passion, adding that “there are lots of medical schools these days” andstudents should not limit their options.
“Medical school could be tough but the key thing is determination and perseverance. No matter what you go through, just remember that others have been there and they made it so you can. At the end of the day, the hustle would pay off,” he points out.
He is a staunch member of the International Central Gospel Church and married to Ms Christian Prisca Ofosu, a midwife. They have three children.
By Ernest Nutsugah
The professor who spends his days exploring the intricacies of African languages found himself at the centre of a different kind of lesson on Friday, October 2, 2026. 
This time, there were no lecture notes, academic arguments or university classrooms. Instead, there was the weight of tradition, the rhythm of a community celebration and the solemnity of an oath at a royal palace.
Professor Ọbádélé Kambon, a full Professor of African Linguistics at the University of Ghana, was enstooled as Apagyahene and Sunsum Ɔsahene of Akuapem Mampong in the Eastern Region in a ceremony that brought academia and traditional authority together.
For the professor, the occasion was more than a new title. It was a moment that connected his academic interests in African languages and indigenous knowledge with the living traditions of an Akan community.
The day’s events unfolded through a series of customary observances. Kambon was first taken to the compounds of the Ɔkyeamehene and Gyasehene, where the preparations for his installation continued.
Then came the application of hyire, the white kaolin powder associated with traditional rites.
With the customary proceedings underway, the new chief was lifted onto the shoulders of celebrants and carried along the main thoroughfare of Akuapem Mampong.
The procession transformed the streets into a public stage for a ceremony rooted in the community’s traditional institutions.
There was something striking about the image, a university professor, accustomed to the measured language of academic discourse, being carried through the town in a display of traditional recognition.
Yet the celebration was not complete with the procession.
A ram was sacrificed at the Mamponghene’s compound before Kambon was taken to the palace, to swear the oath associated with his new offices.
The ceremony brought him formally into his roles as Apagyahene and Sunsum Ɔsahene.
Beyond the colourful proceedings, the titles themselves carry layers of historical meaning.
Kambon in his research explores the historical connections between Apagya and Akan political and military organisation.
Accounts cited in his work linked Apagya to an asafo, or military company, while historical writing traces an Apagya stool in Asante to the reign of Opoku Ware I in the eighteenth century.
These historical associations offer a glimpse into the institutions that have shaped Akan society over generations, although they do not automatically define the precise responsibilities of the office in Akuapem Mampong.
Kambon’s own professional life reflects a similar interest in preserving and examining African knowledge.
His work encompasses Akan language structure, naming practices across the Black world, proverbs and indigenous intellectual traditions.
Through Abibitumi, the platform he founded, he also promotes language learning, scholarship and cultural engagement.
But tradition was only one part of the story that day.
When the formal ceremony gave way to a reception, the occasion expanded into a celebration of three milestones: Kambon’s enstoolment, his promotion to full professor and his daughter Ama’s admission to the University of Ghana.
The gathering therefore carried a personal significance that went beyond the honours bestowed on one man. 
It celebrated professional advancement, the continuation of family aspirations and a connection to cultural heritage.
For a father, seeing a daughter gain admission to the same university where he holds a distinguished academic position offered another reason to celebrate.
For the professor, the moment placed family achievement alongside his own professional and traditional milestones.
Kambon had already established a place in the traditional life of Akuapem Mampɔn through an earlier installation as Banmuhene Kyidɔmhene, recorded in 2017.
His latest enstoolment adds another chapter to that relationship.
In Akuapem Mampɔn, the day brought together the university, the palace and the family table in one celebration. And for Kambon, the journey from the lecture room to the traditional procession showed how scholarship, cultural responsibility and family achievement could converge in a single memorable occasion.
By Enoch Ntiamoah Siaw
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Intercity STC Coaches Limited has interdicted a driver captured in a viral video allegedly hitting a Sprinter bus during an overtaking manoeuvre at Pokuase before driving away from the scene.
In a public notice, the company described the driver’s conduct as unacceptable, stressing that it did not reflect the safety standards and professionalism it upholds.
Management said it had commenced an immediate investigation into the incident and identified the driver, who has been interdicted pending the outcome of the disciplinary process.
The company added that it was awaiting an official report from the Pokuase Police Command to help establish the facts surrounding the incident.
STC reaffirmed its commitment to passenger safety and responsible road use, while thanking members of the public for bringing the incident to its attention.
Management assured the public that appropriate action would be taken following the investigation.
By: Jacob Aggrey
