The Baptist Medical Centre, located at Nalerigu in the Northern region, has marked 60 years of providing quality medical services to the people of Ghana with a colourful durbar at Nalerigu.

Popularly known as BMC, the Centre was established in August 1958 by the then International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention of the USA at Nalerigu through the instrumentality of the late Overlord of Mamprugu, Naa Sheriga Abdulai (father of the Nayiri, the current overlord of Mamprugu), and the late Alhaji Mumuni Bawumia (former Chairman of the Council of State), father of Ghana’s current Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia. Naa Sheriga provided the hospital with 746 acres of land.

Six decades later, the Baptist Medical Centre continues to serve as a major referral facility for a huge swathe of the population in the northern regions, as well as patients from neighbouring countries.

It currently serves over 200 patients a day and carries out an average of 5,000 major and minor surgeries yearly as well as over 3,000 deliveries annually. Doctors at the BMC also carried out the first Cornea transplant in Ghana 51 years ago, in 1967.

In recognition of its remarkable contribution to health care delivery, especially in rural Ghana, the State conferred on BMC and the entire staff a Grand Medal of Ghana (Honorary Division) in 1997.

Speaking at the climax of the 60th Anniversary celebration of BMC on Thursday 8th November 2018, Vice President Bawumia commended the management and staff of the Centre for “Sixty years of excellent health care delivery.”

Vice President Bawumia encouraged the staff and management of BMC to “continue to exhibit dedication and professionalism in your work as a medical team,” adding, “Not many people know that you provide free nutrition services to malnourished clients and that your unique way of treating malnourished children is one of the best in the country.”

Officials of the Baptist Medical Centre later presented a citation to the Vice President and the Overlord of Mamprugu, Naa Bohigu Abdulai Mahami Sheriga in recognition of their ongoing contribution to the growth of the Centre.

The Minister for Local Government, who is also MP for Nalerigu, Hajia Alima Mahama, and other government officials, as well as long serving and deserving staff, were also honoured.