Dr Kofi Effah's plan, on his first arrival in the North Tongu constituency, nearly 21 years ago, was to complete a spell of two years and get back to the city life.
It was a plan he and another colleague had put down, preparing for much bigger opportunities, and further away from rural-life discomforts and perhaps, unimaginable hardships.
The plan was still in force but Dr Effah recalls how the sacrifices of a German nun re-oriented his mind.
In fact, in his recollection of his journey, he said unbeknownst to him, he was going to dedicate the better part of his working life in a 'foreign land.'
Dr Kofi Effah shared his life story when the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, went to Bator to surprise him with a brand new SUV as a form of gratitude for his many years of service to the constituency.
Dr Effah explained that although he has stayed there this long, that was not part of his original plan.
“I went to Bator in 2002 after my house job in Korle Bu. I went with another doctor; now a big surgeon. We intended to stay for two years and go back to Korle Bu and specialise. We wanted to do obstetrics and gynaecology. When I went there, I met a nun, Sister (sic), who was from Germany – the gynaecologist. She become my mentor.
“Let me say one thing she said, that one person does not make a hospital. Dr Effah alone does not make a hospital… Sister (sic) came from Germany and spent 42 years in Bator, in more difficult times, when there was no light - no electricity in Bator. It was difficult to get water, they stayed there for 42 years and finally left Bator in August 2012 – that is 10 and half years ago," he said.
Dr Effah added that by the time his mentor was leaving the country, there was a burden on him to replace her.
He said he took up the challenge but again, he set himself on a short-term plan, hopeful that he could continue to do other things from there.
Things, once again, however didn't go as planned.
He also spoke about how challenging it has been working in Bator when he does not fully speak their language.
“When they were going back, they needed somebody here in Bator to hold the fort, I decided to go there. My motivation was the fact that these were Germans who had left a legacy not for Bator alone, but for the whole country. The Bator you see now is a legacy for the whole country. What the hospital does, in other places, this would be a national asset.
“I am not from Bator. I struggled. Every year, my Ewe increases by 1% from sometime. Now, I’m at 12%. I don’t speak Ewe. I struggle with it but I speak a little – very basic, but when the Germans were leaving, I told myself I was going to stay for five years because the first five years are the most difficult years when any system gets a changeover. Here I am. I’ve been there 10 years and counting," he added.
Being the selfless man he is, Dr Kofi Effah said that one of his most rewarding principles have been that he has not allowed money to influence him.
He also highlighted the need for people to sacrifice for good causes.
“When I was a very young medical student in Accra, we heard about the neurosurgeon, Dr Mustapha, who killed himself and died a pauper. I’ve asked myself; in April, I will be 21 years in Bator. I have not done a single locum; that does not mean I don’t operate in other hospitals. People call me and I go and work there for free – I don’t charge. When people ask me, I tell them my father left me a pot of gold.
“The point is that life goes beyond money, but you need money to survive… the German nun who came to Bator for 42 years was not a Ghanaian," he stressed.
Dr. Kofi Effah is the current Head of the Cervical Cancer Prevention and Training Center, at the Catholic Hospital at Bator in the Volta Region.
AE/WA
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