Story filed by: Emmanuel Akayeti
Serving the vulnerable in deprived communities is refreshing and fulfilling. Money is not everything, but the passion to save the lives of people and improve their living conditions in terms of healthcare delivery.
This was disclosed by a Board Member of the Ayire Clinic, Dr. Natalia Bogee, when he was accompanied by other Doctors to visit the Ayire Clinic in Bongo Soe in the Bongo District of the Upper East Region.
The team is made up of Dr. Vitus Adaboo Azeem Retired, Board Chairman; Dr. Natalia Bogee and her husband, Mr. Scott Witty a Novelist, both residents of the United States of America, Dr. Kofi Asare-Ansah, Family Medicine Specialist and her wife, Dr. Gillian Bogee, Pediatrician both at the Bolgatanga Hospital and the people of Bongo Soe.
Working in rural Ghana since the 1980s
Dr. Natalia Bogee shared her experience working in rural communities in Ghana since the 1980s. She said she followed her passion to Ghana in 1988, after graduating as a veterinary surgeon in the Soviet Union.
She stated that she worked from Akwatia, Kade, to Koforidua, all in rural communities. She said, “I saw poverty among the people.”
While working in Ghana as a Veterinary Doctor, she realised that animal health was not as important as human health, so she decided to help some of her Ghanaian daughters get medical training in Russia, one of whom is Dr. Gillian Bogee, a paediatrician at the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital and Board Member of the Ayire Clinic.
Her desire, she indicated, was to know how people in third-world countries lived; hence, she has never worked in the bigger cities of Ghana.
Dr. Natalia Bogee stated that she remained working in remote communities, teaching the people how to rear and keep healthy animals as a source of livelihood for income to augment their family incomes until her return to settle in the United States of America (USA).
She assured the Chief and people of Bongo-Soe of volunteering Specialist Doctors to the facility at no cost and appealed for accommodation within the area to minimise cost.
Regarding how the facility fared in terms of healthcare delivery at Bongo-Soe, the Medical Director, Dr. Kofi Asare-Ansah, explained that patronage has been good despite not being up to what they are looking for. He said in a month, they could see up to 108 to 110 patients on average, and some of the common diseases encountered include malaria, typhoid fever, peptic ulcers, and severe anemia.
Dr. Asare indicated that, at times, they do get referrals from satellite health facilities. In terms of quality healthcare, the facility is good for the community.
The facility also provides healthcare to adjoining neighborhoods.
