Peace Corps volunteer returns after 50 years to say thank you

A Canadian Peace Corps Volunteer, Douglas Loveday, who served as a teacher in the country in 1970 has travelled several miles back to the country to show his appreciation to two institutions in the Bono and Ahafo regions.

The institutions are the Berekum Holy Family Hospital in the Berekum Municipality in the Bono Region and the Bechem Presbyterian Senior High School (SHS) in the Tano South Municipality in the Ahafo Region.

Mr Loveday said the gesture was because the two institutions played crucial roles and delivered essential services to his family during their three years stay in the country.

The Berekum Holy Family Hospital is the health facility where his spouse, Ruth Loveday, attended her antenatal care and subsequently delivered in 1973, while the Bechem Senior High School offered him the opportunity to serve as an Integrated Science teacher.

As part of the appreciation visit, Mr Loveday presented a laptop each to the institutions to support their daily activities.

He was accompanied on the visit by his wife, Mrs Loveday, daughter, Juliana Loveday who was delivered at the hospital 50 years ago, their granddaughter and some Ghanaian friends.

First class service

Speaking to the Daily Graphic after the presentation at Berekum, Mr Loveday said 50 years ago the hospital delivered first class services to them when his wife attended antenatal care and delivered at the facility.

He explained that the facility delivered wonderful services to him and the entire family and thanked management of the facility for the services rendered to them.

Mr Loveday said they chose the hospital because citizens at Bechem recommended the facility as a place of excellence and "we used to travel from Bechem to Berekum to attend antenatal and post antenatal services”.

"We were told that Berekum Holy Family Hospital was a safe place to go, if we really wanted to have our baby or a safe delivery," he said.

Mr Loveday said he could only remember one sister, Dede, as a midwife at the hospital who assisted his wife through antenatal care to safe delivery.

He explained that the reception of Dede was a remarkable one, which had remained in their minds over the past 50 years.

Mr Loveday said he had seen huge improvement at the hospital, explaining that the hospital had seen major infrastructure development.

Commendation

The Administrator of the hospital, Reverend Sister Reena V. John, who received the laptop on behalf of the facility, thanked the couple for the donation.

She explained that the couple also deserved commendation for remembering the hospital after 50 years, to come back to show their appreciation of the services the facility rendered to them.

Rev. Sis. John said the hospital was fortunate to have been recommended to the couple as the best health facility in the erstwhile Brong Ahafo Region.

"We will continue to render such services to our clients," she stated and added that the appreciation visit by the couple had reminded management and staff of the facility to always strive for excellence.