A letter from Seth Ayettey
Dear friends,
We begin this New Year with thanksgiving to God and with appreciation to all of you for encouragement through 2011.
The first good news is that I have made tremendous progress health-wise. I am now able to walk with little support. At home, I walk about without the cane. I trust it will not be long before I am able to walk too in public without the cane.
The second good news is about Jocelyne’s decision to join us for two years. This means so much to me and to the rest of the team as her presence here will help establish quality standards in radiology and lay foundations to improve work ethics. Jocelyne will also support leadership development at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital working together with Nii and Afua and myself. We thank God for Jocelyne and look forward to her arrival later this month.
The third news is that we are closer to funding of the Phase 1 of the Emergency, Neuroscience and Medical Sub-specialties project. This afternoon, we had a major meeting with officials of the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Health to finalize the Cabinet Memo on loans and grants from the Arabic Consortium. The document should be ready for the next Cabinet meeting scheduled for January 14th. It will then go to Parliament where we shall be invited to defend it.
The Eye Center project has taken off. Construction will be completed by the end of this year. Three other projects shall commence this year – namely the Child Health Emergency project (government funding), a Renal and GU Center (private financing) and the Gynae Hospital (funding from the government of India). Then there is the Radiotherapy Extension project to provide for a Linear Accelerator. This project has funding ($6 million U.S.) from BADEA. There is also equipment rehabilitation for all the different specialties. A new National Blood Bank Center project took off in December. Efforts are in motion for the establishment of private facilities on a P3 basis, including a hospital and diagnostic centers. There is also a huge housing project to be undertaken by a Canadian group. Private interest has been expressed in this as well. It seems therefore that this is the year of God’s special favor upon us. Pray with us that there will be no hindrances.
Many of you are well aware of the shipping of medical equipment to Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital from Canada and the U.S. You have been solidly behind these shipments and we are grateful to you and to the volunteers in the U.S.
I thank you all again for being major instruments of God in laying solid foundations for the Emergency project in particular and for all the documents that are being used by government to support requests for grants and loans for the hospital.
We look forward to realizing all of our dreams to see Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital built into a super tertiary center that will provide the best health care for people in West Africa and be a leading center of excellence for development of quality health human resource.
Thank you all again and again. God bless you all.
Happy New Year.
Seth Ayettey
KBTH
Chairman of the Board
A Letter of Thanksgiving and Appreciation From Seth Ayettey
Today, 5th October, 2011, marks the eve of the day armed robbers attacked the family and shot me, leaving me to bleed to death. As you are aware, God intervened in many ways to ensure that I survived. Major structures in and around the knee were spared. I received prompt intervention from dear friends in the community who risked their lives to drive me to the hospital in time for the doctors to save my life. Friends and family poured in to help and to provide every need of the family. Prayers were offered worldwide. Help was received from many including President John Evans Atta Mills and his wife, Dr. Mrs. Ernestina Naadu Mills. The doctors and nurses at Korle-Bu [Teaching Hospital] and the physiotherapists that followed managed me expertly to the extent that today I am enjoying a fully functional recovery, walking about only with the aid of a cane.
Today, my heart and the hearts of Cecilia and our children are filled with joy, thanksgiving and praise to God for the bountiful blessings through you all. These blessings have translated into a new and amazing life for me. It is such a joy to be back on my feet, getting ready to almost ‘run’. What a joy to be able to live a normal productive life again. What a pleasure to be able to stand and preach at Shiashie Faith Presbyterian Church and to teach at the Medical School. I thought it might take me ages to get back to driving. On the 1st of October, I drove for the first time and it felt so normal. The family was as excited as I. I am quite independent now.
Today, as the family joins with me to thank God, we are also expressing our appreciation to all of you that have been so close to me from the beginning of the crisis. You have stood with me in my suffering and have encouraged me with your prayers and words of comfort as well as your gifts. In Luke 10 and from verse 29, the Lord Jesus spoke about a man who fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Then He referred to a Samaritan who came to his help and who saved his life. In my case there were hundreds and thousands of “Samaritans” from across the world that turned to me to give me their very best – their hearts. And you were one of them. I want to let you know that your help has been deeply, deeply appreciated and valued. Each time I look at myself and see the ‘miracle’ of God in my life, I also see your hands and feet and more importantly, your heart, that moved with special passion for me. This is a priceless treasure for which I shall forever be grateful.
Today, I continue to live for Christ my Lord and Savior as I serve others, trusting Him only and always for every need. I live with a heart of forgiveness for those that hurt me and planned to kill me. Those that drove me to the hospital said the only words on my lips that night were prayers of forgiveness. These words are still in my heart today. May the Lord forgive them and any others behind the attack on my family and on my life. I live today and for the rest of my life with grateful thanks to God and for all the beautiful instruments He has used in my life.
Today, I ask you to join me and the family in giving thanks to God and to praise His Holy Name.
Today, Cecilia and the children join with me to say a special thank you from our hearts to you all.
Thank you and God bless you more richly.
Seth
Guest Post – Palliative Care is a Positive Term
This presentation is a short review of the basic philosophy and principles that drive the practise of Palliative Care. It provides a beginning understanding of the specialty. It is intended to pique the interest of those in other fields. More in-depth classroom education and clinical practise is required, for full understanding of the complexities of the field.
Please click here to view the presentation: Palliative Care is a Positive Term.
