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The Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth II, has promoted a Former Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Prof. Agyeman Badu Akosa, to an Officer of the Order of St. John.
Together with Mrs. Hilda Commey, a former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the St. John Ambulance, Ghana, the honour, was in recognition of the outstanding service offered by both health practitioners for the wellbeing of humanity.
The Order of St John, is a British royal order of chivalry constituted in 1888 by a royal charter from Queen Victoria and dedicated to St John the Baptist.
Found throughout the Commonwealth of Nations and other continents, the Orderruns two main health organisations; the St. John Ambulance and St. John Eye Hospital Group, and has the mission to “prevent and relieve sickness and injuries, and to act to enhance the health and well-being of people anywhere in the world.”
A statement signed by Dr. Kwame Apedzi, Chief Executive Officer of St. John Ambulance, Ghana and copied to the Ghanaian Times yesterday, said, nine other distinguished Ghanaianswere also admitted as members of the Order of St. John.
They are Dr. Ebenezer AppiahDenkyira (Former Director General, GHS), DDNS Esther AblaMawufenyaAnyidoho, a former CEO, St John Ambulance, Dr. Anthony Kwame Apedzi, current CEO, St John Ambulance, Emmanuel Kwasi Asante, the Ashanti Regional Coordinator, St John Ambulance and Mr. Eric ObuBuetey, a volunteer of St John in Obuasi in the Ashanti region.
Dr. Gilbert Nyaledzigbor, former Council Member, St John Ambulance, Dorothy Christiana Quist, a staff, Lawyer Dometi Kofi Sokpor, a Former Council Member and Legal Advisor, Samuel Laryea,a volunteer and Head of the Teshie Division of St John.
The statement said names of the recipientswere approved by Her Royal Majesty who is the Sovereign Head of St John worldwide on August 24, 2020, and listed in the London Gazette on September 10, 2020.
“Each one of the award winners receives a medal and a certificate from the Buckingham Palace,” the statement noted.
Prof. Badu Akosa,on behalf of the award winners, thanked the Queen for the award which he described as very significant having earlier received the Companion of the Order of Volta, in recognition of his contribution towards healthcare delivery in Ghana and beyond.
The British High Commissioner to Ghana, Ms Harriet Thompson having chaired the award ceremony to honour the ‘stars’ encouraged St John to continue with its first aid activities and charity work.
St John Ambulance Ghana was established in 1937 andsubvented under the Ministry of Health, operating as an Emergency Medical Service (EMS) provider in the area of First Aid Services, Ambulance Services, Community Health and Youth Development.
By convention, every Director General of GHS is the Council Chairman of St John and has the mandate to supervise its activities.
The mandate given by theMOH is to make GHS coordinate the activities of the agency in line with the overall activities of Service nationwide.
