Franklin Cudjoe, the founding president of the Ghanaian policy think tank IMANI Africa, has been discharged from a hospital in the United States after undergoing surgery that his team described as successful, according to Adomonline.com.
The operation took place at RUSH University Medical Center in Chicago, where Cudjoe had travelled for treatment related to his long-standing Parkinson's disease. He announced his discharge in a Facebook post on Friday, saying he was back at his apartment and facing two weeks of recovery before the next stage of his care.
"Discharged and back in my apartment. Next 2 weeks of healing and then the magic will happen," he wrote, expressing optimism about his recovery, Adomonline.com reports.
The surgery followed a public appeal in which Cudjoe asked Ghanaians and well-wishers to keep him in their prayers. Before the procedure, he said he had confidence in the medical team treating him and thanked those who helped arrange his emergency travel and treatment, according to reports carried by 3News and Yen News.
Why it matters
Cudjoe's case has drawn attention well beyond his own health. He disclosed in January 2026 that he had been living with Parkinson's disease for eight years, and since then he has used his public platform to document his treatment and to press for better neurological care in Ghana.
Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological disorder that affects movement. There is no cure at present, though symptoms can be managed with medication and other forms of treatment.
By speaking openly about his diagnosis, Cudjoe has sought to reduce stigma around the condition and to encourage support for people living with it. His decision to travel abroad for surgery has also opened a wider conversation about what specialist care is available inside Ghana.
A platform built around a personal diagnosis
Before the operation, Cudjoe said he intended to use his own experience to illustrate the difficulties patients face in accessing specialised neurological treatment in Ghana. He pointed to the small number of specialists able to manage conditions such as Parkinson's disease, a concern he raised even as he acknowledged help he had received from neurologists in Ghana and from businessman Ibrahim Mahama.
Cudjoe also outlined plans to convene neurosurgeons and neurologists in Ghana once he has recovered, with the aim of discussing how to widen access to specialist doctors, medical equipment, medicines and treatment. In addition, he announced plans for a documentary that would follow his preparations and his journey from Ghana to the United States for the operation.
The discharge announcement marks the end of the surgical phase of that journey. His recovery over the coming fortnight will determine when the next stage of treatment begins.
What to watch
Attention now turns to Cudjoe's recovery in Chicago and to whether the planned gathering of Ghanaian neurologists and neurosurgeons, along with the documentary he has promised, materialises once he is well enough to pursue them.
