A Tribute To Professor Gilford Ashitey

A Tribute To Professor Gilford Ashitey, MD: Ghana Medical School

By Rev. Peter E Adotey Addo

We join in celebrating over Forty years of Visionary work at the Ghana

Medical School by Our Beloved Professor and Brother. Thanks to the visionary

efforts of Medical giants in Community health Services, like Professor

Gilford A Ashitey,we can safely say that through his dedication and work

,our Beloved Ghana is close to entering a new era. The reality today in

Ghana is that living longer is becoming more of a certainty , and more than

that ,planning for it is more or less a necessity. Professor Ashitey saw

this day coming before many Ghanaians realized that significant demographic,

technological, and social changes were taking place. All of these changes

challenged the traditional methods and procedures of the Ghana Public Health

Services. We are indeed fortunate that we have been blessed with Professor

Ashitey who has always had vision and foresight. He has always been a person

of vision and a man of dignity.

This was even apparent during our Young School days at Osu Salem. Even then

he had a profound passion for excellence and this is how Prof Ashitey will

always be remembered: A humble man of great religious Faith and Vision. He

returned to his beloved Ghana at the appropriate time in Ghana Medical

History and without any haste helped in the control of the 7th Pandemic of

Cholera from Asia to West Africa in the 1970s.Through teaching and numerous

assignments and Projects in Family Planning as an Epidemiologist he traveled

the world and was cited on numerous occasions by WHO. The World Health

Organization

Whatever the position, project, assignment, task, or challenge Prof Ashitey

always demonstrated a passion for perfection ,always experiencing or

receiving great satisfaction serving as a teacher, mentor, administrator and

seeing his students developing into effective and competent public health

professionals. Dr. Ashitey believes that there is no greater calling more

vital to our beloved Ghana and our developing democratic society than that

of teacher, mentor, and seeing students develop into dedicated and competent

Public Health professionals. There are many ways to contribute to a strong

and viable medical culture in Ghana.

One of the best ways is the path chosen by Professor Ashitey to help prepare

medical students who will reach and serve future generations. We believe

that this is why Professor Ashitey stands out as a medical giant committed

to programs that help young students prepare for the future, to that task he

never retreated.

To family, friends and professional colleagues around the world,Prof Ashitey

has been a Man of Vision, Our Mentor and a friend. His Intelligence, Honesty

Integrity, and Wit have earned him the profound respect, admiration and

friendship of family, associates, peers and competitors. His Lifelong

achievements will certainly continue to impress, inspire and motivate others

for generations to come. We salute you Professor Ashitey for having the

courage of your vision for forty years to encourage all Ghanaians to improve

and maintain the efficacy and law of the Community Health Services in our

Beloved Ghana.

"Indeed where there is no vision the people perish: but he that keeps the

law, happy is he." Proverbs 20:18.

Submitted April 13 2013 Greensboro, North Carolina, U S A.

Rev Peter E Adotey Addo is the Author of several Scientific and Religious

publications. The most Recent are : GHANA FOLK TALES, HOW THE SPIDER

BECAME BALD AND TALKING DRUMS , A BOOK OF POETRY.