Every so often, I’m unexpectedly overwhelmed by the sheer privilege of being a health care provider. Today was one of those moments as I watched our mission begin.
We left for the hospital at 07:00, where a wonderful breakfast of porridge, bananas, fresh peanut butter, omelettes, and coffee awaited us. Afterward, we gathered under the hospital gazebo—named in memory of our dear brother Noah Ampen—for morning devotions. On Mondays, the entire NEA and Leyaata staff meet together. After songs, prayers, and testimonies of thanksgiving, the GHP team was introduced, along with a dozen new Leyaata colleagues hired over the past few months. Dr. Mensah shared his heart and his vision for Leyaata to become a model hospital in West Africa and made a very exciting announcement (more on that soon). For those of us who knew Noah, we could imagine his arms raised high and that unforgettable smile.
Then it was time to work.
Beginning a mission is never easy. Many teammates are stepping into a new clinical environment with new colleagues and unfamiliar conditions—severe malaria, typhoid fever, amelogenesis imperfecta, and more. Yet one by one, I watched this team dive in wholeheartedly. Their courage—and their desire for mutual learning and skill-sharing—moved me deeply. I saw Dr. Sue and Leyaata’s Dr. Obed co-counselling a young couple with such compassion; Tiffany teaching the rehab team about low back pain after a full day; Jannine and Brooklyn working shoulder to shoulder with nurses on complex cases; Tracey hard at work in the lab; Neil and Garrett running a full dental clinic alongside the Leyaata dental team, and Sherry completely at home among her pharmacy colleagues. The warmth and openness of the skilled Leyaata staff made the day a joy to watch unfold.
Our eye team spent the day setting up the clinic and preparing for the many patients due to arrive tomorrow. Thanks to a generous Canadian donor, we brought an optical coherence tomography (OCT) machine—a tool that provides high-resolution images of the eye’s layers to detect diseases like glaucoma and macular degeneration, often before symptoms appear. With an outdated manual, some virtual tech support from Canada, and a lot of persistence, the team got the OCT up and running—one of only a handful in Ghana, most located in the capital. They also set up the laser used to treat glaucoma. After hours of troubleshooting why it wouldn’t fire (and more virtual support), Dr. Mensah walked in, pressed one yellow button, and the whole machine came to life. We all agree—he has a magic touch.
At dinner, we shared our favourite moments—some hilarious, some deeply moving—and agreed it was a marvellous first day. We ended the evening with HI-CHEWs, cookies from home, games under the gazebo, and cold showers before turning in early.
Oh, and by the way, the temperature peaked at 33 degrees today. Sounds like we are missing some great weather back in Canada.
Dr. David Mensah thanking Dr. McDowell during morning devotions for his steady leadership over many years.
The dental team!
New flags in their new location at the NEA gates.
Dr. Mensah visiting the dental clinic!
The lab team!
Setting up the OCT.
First run of the OCT!
Under the gazebo.
DR. JENNIFER WILSON
MD, CCFP (EM), FCFP, DIM&PH, MPH (FCM) CSGH
Director of International Partnerships Canadian Consultant for Family & Emergency Medicine
Leyaata Hospital, Carpenter, Ghana
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