From Me to You, From My Heart to Yours
I hear that I am becoming notorious
for cooking up summaries for SOFPOG AGSMs
I feel people are a bit suspicious
That a convo* will inadvertently slip into a write up
but
I didn’t come here to do laborious stuff
Or to be malicious
I came here to enjoy a luxurious holiday
Away from the craze and the faze of the city
Here I am allowed to laze away
Long enough to make my Boss daze
Two nights ago I was sitting my somewhere
Lacing my shoes and sipping on my cuppa coffee
Pondering the day and rehashing the amazing convos of the evening
Wondering what would be worthy of the time of the busiest people on planet earth
The physicians, surgeons, pathologists, clinical psychologists and psychiatrists, laboratory scientists, phlebotomists, pharmacists, communicators, coordinators, pastors, priests and Imams, poets and actors, world class dancers and musicians, fishermen and farmers, educators and researchers, directors, administrators, army officers and men (and women) of the military, IT and AI gurus, bankers, money lenders, real estate owners, businessmen, market women, herbalists and magicians.
Also known as The Family Physicians!
I was looking for the inspiration
To continue this tradition
I had bits and pieces of information
But there was a little limitation
Until that great word from one father of Family medicine (aka an ancestor!)
put it all in perspective and brought vindication
It was just but a harmless comment
To the agile and acrobatic “booggeers”# who gave the DJ a run for his money
With his me- lady in hand, he looked at the flexible young guys and gals
And he had this to say “ this is the time, you are young”
“From Me to You, from my heart to yours” is what happened when
a beautiful Commander Doctor Afeng Nkansah and her husband graciously entertained a whole crowd of partying Family physicians at their beautiful residence
“From me to you, from my heart to yours” was the revered epidemiologist whispering to the researcher at the back of the hall during our scientific sessions to make sure that we Family physicians hold ourselves to a high standard and understand when to use certain terminologies in research
“From me to you, from my heart to yours”
Is the sacrifice made by our beloved Ancestors
Who saw beyond their limitations, beyond their comforts, their small plate, fork knife and spoon
And envisaged a banquet of family physicians
That is you and me and this is now !
“From me to you, from my heart to yours”
Is our dear Reverend Essuman
Pushing against all odds
After being greatly discouraged by some high powers
To become a professor of international repute
And passing down knowledge from generation to generation
“From me to you, from my heart to yours”
Is a proud Kwesi walking boldly behind Mama Spangenberg
As she strode gracefully in her intricately laced green kente to receive the well-deserved citation
She recounted a time when she was paid below specialist grade for more than a decade
But still pushed on to become the mother of the first Family medicine fellow by examination of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons
“From me to you, from my heart to yours”
Is the 3 musketeers of the Port Medical Centre providing sumptuous meals year after year for newly graduated young specialists
The selfless dedication of all Family medicine faculty executives to the training of generations of Family physicians
Is the altruistic Dr Nyarko Mensah donating several items to 3 deserving Family physicians
“From me to you, from my heart to yours”
Is a young man from a small clinic in Nkoranza
Sitting before a world-renowned Family physician
And being asked about farming and going on to become
A Chief farmer in his own right
“From me to you, from my heart to yours”
Is a young man who has made research a past time
Who has put Ghana Family medicine on the global research map
And of a team called CREATE+
Who have created a name and a brand
Of ladies and gentlemen who choose to eat egg size banku or not at all
“From me to you, from my heart to yours”
Is the work done behind the scenes by the LOC and teams
To make Koforidua light up with family physicians
Is each of us family physicians
Taking time off our busy schedules
To join in the celebrations of the World Family Doctor Day
Is each smile that went across each table
Each hug and handshake
Each sharing of hairbands, irons and the other unmentionables
Is the team of unnamed foot soldiers who stayed behind to take calls and cover our duties all over Ghana
Is the warm resounding applause of all Family physicians
As they gave a standing ovation to the fantastic leaders of our association
Who have blazed the unknown trails and have made us a marvel and an envy to all
“From me to you, from my heart to yours”
Is the emoootional emcee Nana Afare
Who has done this job probono for as long as he knew how to draw a genogram
And our dear Rev. Anum who metamorphosized into a Presbyterian Family physician
In ‘Koftown’ on a bright and sunny Sunday
“From me to you, from my heart to yours”
Is a group of family physicians
Who went on a ‘S.afari’ in Adukrom Ghana
To touch base with wildlife
And to sweetly blend in the theme
‘Healthy Planet, healthy people’
Nothing could be more apt
Thanks to the leadership of our life president George Bediako Nketiah
“From me to you, from my heart to yours” is citations being dedicated to the young and to the old family physicians (recently christened ‘elderlies’) a sign of passing down the ball, of handing over the baton
Of sacrifice, dedication, hard work, focus, altruism, faith, and love.
And this my beloved Ancestors, (‘elderlies’) family and friends
is “from me to you, from my heart to yours”.
I can’t wait for the next SOFPOG AGSM
*convo- conversation
# ‘Boogeers’ – dancers
+ CREATE research group
Dora Egblewogbe
19/05/24
