Professor Sir Dr George Wireko Brobby, one of Ghana’s most accomplished medical scholars and a transformative figure in the country’s health and higher education sectors, died at the age of 82.
His life stretched from a childhood marked by adversity to a career that reshaped medical training in Ghana and elevated the nation’s standing in global scientific and clinical circles.
Born on 9 November 1942 in Dunkwa-on-Offin, his arrival was described by his mother, Cecilia Westcott (Maame Ewurasi), as both miraculous and deeply symbolic. After six miscarriages and stillbirths, she regarded him as a Bagyina, a child preserved by destiny. Raised in a Catholic home that valued discipline, learning, and service, he grew up between the rich traditions of the Brobby family and the quiet spiritual strength of his mother. He enjoyed the support of his stepmother, Maame Gyamfuah, and developed lasting bonds with his siblings in a home grounded in mutual respect and cultural cohesion.
His academic gifts appeared early. At St Stephen’s Catholic Boys’ School and later St Augustine’s College, Cape Coast, he distinguished himself as a student of rare intellect. He excelled in science and Latin and rose to leadership roles, including House Prefect and Assistant Senior Prefect. His performance in the Sixth Form earned him a coveted Ghana Government Scholarship to West Germany, launching an academic journey that would become historic.
At the University of Marburg, founded in 1527, he quickly set himself apart. After graduating with distinction in Biochemistry, he received special permission to pursue Medicine and Dentistry concurrently, an exception seldom granted even to German students. By 1972, he had completed both doctoral theses magna cum laude, becoming the first foreign student in the university’s history to earn dual doctorates.
He went on to train in Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery at the University Teaching Hospital in Düsseldorf, where he was noted for his precision and speed in the operating theatre. In 1977, he was gazetted as a Specialist ENT Surgeon, the first Ghanaian to attain that qualification in Germany.
Germany was also where he began his family life. He married Beatrice Boahene, a radiographer and Commonwealth scholar, in 1968. Their marriage, grounded in shared faith and intellectual partnership, was blessed with three children. After her passing in 1994, he later married Jocelyn Eshun, who embraced his earlier children and together with him raised two more.
Prof Brobby returned to Ghana in 1978 as the first Ghanaian lecturer in ENT at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology’s School of Medical Sciences. He became a central figure in building the young medical school, contributing to curriculum development, departmental growth, and the establishment of key academic and clinical units. He helped shape the academic culture of the institution and trained hundreds of medical practitioners, many of whom became specialists and leaders in Ghana and abroad.
In 1992, he became Ghana’s first full Professor of Otorhinolaryngology and was appointed Dean of the School of Medical Sciences, a position he held for a record ten years. His leadership secured international recognition for the school from the UK Medical Council and several German universities, and he championed reforms that strengthened medical training nationwide. His advocacy led to major developments such as the AGC Gold Hostel for clinical students and the SMS Guest House.
National service was a constant thread in his career. He served on the Medical and Dental Council, the Ghana Medical Association, the Prison Service Council, the Nursing and Midwifery Council, and the Ghanaian Times Board. He was twice elected President of the Ghana Medical Association and led the Ghana Surgical Society.
Internationally, he played a major role in advancing hearing and ENT care across Africa. He served as President of the Initiative for Deaf Education in Third World Countries, as Secretary-General and later President of the Pan-African Federation of Otorhinolaryngological Societies, and as a WHO Consultant on the Prevention of Deafness. His work led to the establishment of the Kumasi Hearing Assessment Centre at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, then the only WHO-recognised facility of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa.
He helped shape the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research into Tropical Medicine (KCCR), a partnership with the Hamburg Institute of Tropical Medicine. Years later, KCCR became Ghana’s critical COVID-19 testing and research hub outside of Noguchi, a contribution that stands as one of the lasting proofs of his foresight.
Prof Brobby was also instrumental in establishing the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, serving as Chairman of the national task force that designed its structure and later becoming Vice-Rector and President of the College. His leadership helped build a strong postgraduate training system for Ghanaian doctors and specialists.
His contributions earned him numerous honours. In 2007, he received the Order of the Volta. In 2000, Pope John Paul II awarded him the Knighthood of St Gregory the Great. He rose to the rank of Past Supreme Knight in the Noble Order of the Knights of Marshall. He also received two honorary doctorates and the Guggisberg Award for Best Research in Tropical Medicine.
To his family, he was a devoted father, mentor, and steady guide. His five children — George, Desmond, Vivian, Lawrencia Cecilia, and Stephen Valentine — reflect the discipline, intellectual curiosity, and sense of duty he lived by. His generosity extended far beyond his home, with many nephews, nieces, and young scholars benefiting from his mentorship and support.
To the medical community, he was a master surgeon, a rigorous educator, and a nation-builder whose influence touched nearly every pillar of modern Ghanaian medical training. To his students and colleagues, he was a model of discipline, intellect, humility, and unwavering faith.
Prof Sir Dr George Wireko Brobby is remembered as a man who lived with purpose and served with conviction. His legacy lives on in the institutions he built, the professionals he trained, the health systems he strengthened, and the countless lives shaped by his work.
He came, he saw, he conquered.
May his soul rest in perfect peace.
