Mahama reveals he fled emergency room during First Lady Caesarean Sections

President John Dramani Mahama has joked that he routinely fled operating theatres during his wife’s Caesarean sections, questioning whether he deserved induction as a surgical fellow.

Speaking at the 66th Annual Conference of the West African Association of Surgeons, where he was inducted as a fellow of the West African College of Physicians, the President used humour to reflect on his personal discomfort with surgical procedures.

“My wife, for all our children, had to go through C-sections. As soon as the surgeon starts cutting her stomach, I run out of the theatre,” President Mahama said, drawing laughter from the audience. “So I wonder whether I really deserve this gown.”

He expressed gratitude for the honour but maintained a self-deprecating tone about the recognition.

“Let me thank you very much for the honour done me, and I’m wondering if I deserve this award to be a fellow of surgeons,” he said.

President Mahama recalled a long-standing tradition that encourages husbands to be present during childbirth, noting that his own experience made that expectation difficult.

“There is this tradition where, when your wife is giving birth, you are invited to attend the birth,” he said. “It just happened that my wife, for all our children, had to go through a Caesarean Section.”

The President’s remarks were delivered during a lighter moment at the conference, which brought together surgeons and medical professionals from across West Africa to discuss advances in surgical practice, training and healthcare delivery in the sub-region.

His comments, while humorous, also acknowledged the demanding and intense nature of surgical work, particularly procedures such as Caesarean sections.

A Caesarean section, commonly referred to as a C-section, is a surgical procedure used to deliver a baby through incisions made in the mother’s abdomen and uterus.

It is performed when vaginal delivery is not possible or poses risks to the mother or child and may be planned or conducted as an emergency intervention.

President Mahama used the occasion to commend medical professionals for their resilience and expertise, suggesting that his personal reaction to surgery underscored the courage and skill required of surgeons.

The 66th annual conference served as a platform for peer learning and professional recognition, with fellows inducted in acknowledgement of their contributions to medicine, leadership and public service.

President Mahama’s presence and remarks added a lighter dimension to the proceedings, resonating with participants familiar with the pressures of surgical rooms.