US surgeon receives National Women's award

Tamale, June 11, GNA - Dr. Jean Young Bjorling, an American General and Paediatric Surgeon, has been awarded as the most outstanding female doctor in the country for her commitment and selfless dedication to duty in deprived communities of the country, particularly the Northern Region.

Dr. Patrick Twumasi, Northern Regional Director of Health Services, presented the plaque which Dr. Bjorling won to Mr. Stephen Sumani Nanyina, Northern Regional Minister, who in turn presented it to the recipient at a ceremony in Tamale on Thursday. Dr. Bjorling came to Ghana in 1988 and worked in several rural hospitals including Ankaasa in the Ashanti Region and the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital where she worked to gain practical experience in tropical medicine.

From 1993 to 1996 she was the medical officer in-charge of the Saboba Medical Centre in the Saboba/Chereponi District of the Northern Region, and during the 1994 northern conflict when most indigenes fled the area, she courageously stayed back to take care of casualties of the conflict.

She also spearheaded the upgrading of the facility from a health centre to a district hospital were she managed to establish 27 beds, which was later expanded to 80 beds for admissions and attended to an average of 90 out-of-patience's cases a month. With an active laboratory that provides blood transfusions services she performs 40 to 60 major surgical operations a month. Mr. Nayina commended Dr. Bjorling for her selfless service to the country and the deprived communities and urged other medical professionals to emulate her example.

He reminded Ghanaian medical doctors and other health professionals that they were trained with the tax payers' money and as such should be willing to accept postings to the rural areas to attend to the health needs of the people.

In a related development the Northern Region Health Services also received an award for being adjudged as the region to present the best report: "On reproductive and child health" in 2007 at last years National Annual Review Conference of the Ghana Health Service. Dr. Bjorling was born on the 12th of February 1948 in Kewanee, Illinois and graduated from the University of Iowa College of Medicine in 1976 and proceeded to the Upstate Medical Centre, Syracuse, New York where she did her General Residence from 1976 to 1978. In 1983 she registered as a Diplomat of the American Board of Surgery in General Surgery and re-certified in 1991 and 2001. She holds a Fellowship with the West African College of Surgeons and is also a founding fellow of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons.