Former German national team player Gerald Asamoah has flown in 55 German medical professionals to Ghana. They are there to perform free heart surgeries on children through the Gerald Asamoah Foundation, in partnership with Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.
Asamoah left Ghana at the age of 12 and built a successful football career in Germany. He represented the German national team at the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups, but he never forgot where he came from.
The 55-member team of doctors, nurses and support staff arrived in Accra to carry out free surgeries for children with congenital heart defects. Many of the German volunteers use their annual leave to take part in the life-saving project. 
Beyond the operations themselves, the team also works with local medical staff, sharing knowledge and helping strengthen cardiac care capacity in Ghana.
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Why Gerald Asamoah Flew in 55 Surgeons for Free Heart Surgeries in Ghana
In 1998, while still playing, he was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect after he felt sick following a football match. Doctors told him he might never play again. As a man of faith, he made a promise that if God restored him, he would give something back.
Ten months later, Asamoah returned to the pitch, and he has kept the promise he made ever since.
He founded the Gerald Asamoah Foundation in 2007 specifically to help children with heart conditions. The foundation has so far helped more than 200 children, some by flying them to Germany and others through support in Ghana. In his own words:
“It doesn’t matter how much money goes into this. What matters to me is seeing the children recover, smile and play again after their operations.”
Asamoah Plans to Expand Free Heart Surgeries Beyond Accra
Asamoah has made it clear that he wants to extend the programme beyond Accra. He plans to take it to Kumasi and other communities across the Ashanti Region (his home region). He desires the project to reach more parts of the country so that children outside Accra can also benefit.
This large-scale programme of flying German doctors and nurses to Ghana for free heart surgeries began as an annual mission in November 2023. In 2023, about 30 children were treated, while in 2024, about 27 children received free surgeries at a cost of about €250,000.
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