President John Dramani Mahama, in a letter addressed to the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, dated May 23, 2025, revoked the appointment of Anne Sansa Daly, who had claimed she was a medical doctor, to the board of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).

No explanation was given in the revocation letter, which was issued on behalf of the president by Dr Callistus Mahama, the Secretary to the President.

However, the revocation of her appointment followed claims by a faction of the public that she had fake medical credentials.

Reports indicated that checks at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, in the United States (US), where Sansa Daly claims she acquired her medical credentials, show there is no record of her at the university.

Also, checks at the Ghana Medical and Dental Council and the American Board of Family Medicine showed that she holds no valid medical qualifications to practise in Ghana and the United States, respectively.

What was Sansa Daly appointed to do on the NHIA board?

President John Dramani Mahama, in a letter dated May 19, 2025, appointed Sansa Daly as a member of the Governing Board of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).

The letter, which was issued by Dr Callistus Mahama, showed a list of 17 appointed members of the NHIA Governing Board and roles they are expected to play.

Sansa Daly, together with the Member of Parliament for Korle Klottey, Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, were listed as “Two health professionals with expertise in health insurance” on the board.

The letter referred to Sansa Daly as “Dr Anne Sansa Daly”.

The president, in the letter, directed that the 17 members of the board be sworn in to enable them to commence work immediately.

So, it is clear that President Mahama appointed Sansa Daly based on her credentials as a medical practitioner, unless the letter written by the president’s secretary did not convey his instruction, or the letter in the public domain is fake.

This leaves a lot of questions, including how someone can be appointed to such a top post with credentials that appear to be non-existent; whether there were checks on her credentials by the country’s security apparatus for such a top position; and whether the president’s original appointment was distorted.

What the government has said about the brouhaha:

The government, through the Ministry of Health, has explained that Sansa Daly was not sworn in as a member of the National Health Insurance Authority Board, contradicting recent media reports.

In a statement dated Wednesday, May 28, 2025, the Ministry confirmed that a letter appointing Sansa Daly, along with other members of the Board, was issued on May 19, 2025, but added that subsequently, a letter dated May 23, 2025, was issued by the appropriate authority, which revoked her appointment.

“The Ministry of Health has taken note of a publication on Graphic Online regarding the appointment and swearing-in of Ms Anne Sansa Daly as a member of the National Health Insurance Authority Board. The Ministry wishes to categorically deny the allegations contained in the said publication and to present the facts as follows.

“A letter appointing Ms Anne Sansa Daly, along with other members of the Board, was issued on May 19, 2025. Subsequently, a letter dated May 23, 2025, was issued by the appropriate authority. This second letter revoked her appointment and appointed her replacement,” it noted.

The question should not be whether Sansa Daly, who calls herself “Dr Daly”, was sworn in or not, but how she got appointed and whether she presented fake credentials to gain her appointment.

The letters of appointment and revocation even point to the fact that the government has issues about her credentials. The appointment letter had the name “Dr Anne Sansa Daly”, while the letter of the revocation of her appointment had the name “Anne Sansa Daly”.

The ministry’s statement also had the name “Ms Anne Sansa Daly”, clearly ignoring the “Dr” title.

Should the statement issued by the minister and the revocation letter be enough? Certainly not, in the interest of transparency and accountability. The government must, as a bare minimum, explain her appointment and the brouhaha surrounding her qualifications.

Additionally, if Sansa Daly was wrongly portraying herself to be a medical doctor, it is illegal and must have some legal ramifications.

What the law says about fake doctors:

The Health Professions Regulatory Bodies Act, 2013 (Act 857), governs the practice of medicine in Ghana.

Section 48 of the Act lists the offences of medical practice in Ghana, which include “false declaration in an application for registration as a medical or dental practitioner, physician assistant or certified registered anaesthetist” and “wilfully and falsely uses any name, title such as ‘Dr.’ or addition implying a qualification to practise medicine or dentistry.”

Persons who commit these offences can likely get a prison term of about 20 years.

Below are the exact words of Act 857, Section 48:

A person who

(a) makes a false declaration in an application for registration as a medical or dental practitioner, physician assistant, or certified registered anaesthetist;

(b) wilfully and falsely uses any name, title such as “Dr.” or addition implying a qualification to practise medicine or dentistry;

(c) employs or engages a non-registered practitioner;

(d) without being registered under this Part;

(i) practises or professes to practise medicine or dentistry; or

(ii) receives payment for the practice of dentistry or medicine; or

(e) wilfully destroys or damages a register kept under this Part, commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not less than one thousand penalty units and not more than ten thousand penalty units or to a term of imprisonment of not more than twenty years or to both; and in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine of ten penalty units for each day during which the offence continues after written notice has been served on the offender personally by the Council.

In conclusion, the revocation of Sansa Daly’s appointment cannot be enough. Given the national security implications of her appointment and the international dimension it has taken with the involvement of one of the best universities in the world, more action is needed on the matter.

BAI/MA