‘It’s also your hearts’- Prof. Owusu-Dabo urges preservation of healthcare core values

The Principal Investigator of the Africa Higher Education Health Collaborative, KNUST, Prof. Ellis Owusu-Dabo has observed growing apathy in Ghana’s healthcare sector.

Speaking at the back of the report of a patient of the Winneba Trauma Hospital who was allegedly dumped in the bush at Gomoa Ojobi in the Central Region, he was worried the situation puts the sector in a bad light.

Prof. Owusu-Dabo was speaking at the closing ceremony for sixty tutors from seventy-seven KNUST-affiliated Nursing and Midwifery Health Institutions who received training in health entrepreneurship by the Africa Higher Education Health Collaborative, KNUST in partnership with Mastercard Foundation.

“I still remember my Hippocratic oath. It tells you certain things that are inherent in our practice, you protect lives at the least, and you prolong lives at the least. These are things we do as health workers.

“We’re scared that many are losing out on core competencies and skills that will help us to deliver as health workers.

“It’s not just your head or your hand, it’s also your heart. It’s important we don’t lose our hearts in all the things we do,” he said.

The trainers who were drawn from Ashanti, Eastern and Central regions are part of the second cohort receiving Train-the-trainer training in health entrepreneurship.

The 10-day event spearheaded by the Health Entrepreneurship pillar of the Collaborative led by Prof. Wilberforce Owusu-Ansah seeks to empower tutors of Nursing and Midwifery Institutions to nurture potential entrepreneurs to build resilient health ventures in Ghana.

A special guest, Prof. Kofi Poku reminded the beneficiaries that “the cascading effects of the life you touch is immense. Be present in your minds about the work you’re doing, you’re touching lives. Touch lives in a more positive way, give hope there’s no other Ghana than what we have”.

The graduates were optimistic of the positive impact of the training.

“Before we came here, we had fears and anxieties of what we’re going to do. So far, we have become critical thinkers for ourselves. And as trainers we also know that we have a great deal of impact on our students and the need to become economic thinkers, as well,” said Ms. Justina Afriyie Gyamfi from SDA Nursing and Midwifery Training College.

“If people keep complaining about bad situations that is an advantage for the entrepreneur. So, I learnt I must take advantage of the bad situation to make some money,” said Boaz Ahulu from Akim Oda Community Health Training School.