Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus (HHCJ), Ghana Province has made history in 100 years upon the arrival of Mother Mary Charles Magdalen Walker, Servant of God, foundress of the HHCJ Congregation to Nigeria and 65 years of the Congregation’s presence in Ghana.
Though the Congregation has so many Medical Doctors, Sr. Dr. (Med) Ernestina Serwaa Yeboah, HHCJ, a member of the Congregation of the Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus is the first Ghanaian to become a Medical Doctor in September 2024.
She hails from Tanoboase Techiman and a parishioner of St. Paul’s Cathedral Parish, Techiman. She is the only female among three siblings. She had her basic education at Fountain International School, Techiman, and proceeded to attend Techiman Senior High School.
For her professional degrees, Sr. Ernestina obtained her first degree in B.Sc. Nursing at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) from 2014 – 2018. In 2020, she enrolled in the Graduate Entry Medicine Programme at the University of Cape Coast School of Medical Sciences where she successfully passed out in September 2024.
In an interview with Sr. Emmanuella Dakurah, HHCJ, a Sister Communicator, on how she felt being the first Ghanaian Handmaid Medical Doctor, Sr. Dr. Yeboah said “I feel honoured, and humbled at the same time that God has used me to pave the way for young Sisters to follow suit in such a noble vocation. I feel humbled by the fact that my Congregation believed in me and allowed me to pursue this career. So, I am thankful to the Church for the trust.”
On what motivated her to pursue medicine, Sr. Dr. Serwaa explained “At age 12, while on admission at the Holy Family Hospital, Techiman for some burn injuries which I sustained in a fire outbreak in my house with my two brothers, I was being cared for by the Medical Mission Sisters and I felt the love of God through their care for me at the hospital. I made the decision to dedicate the rest of my life to extend God’s love to others by caring for the sick.”
According to her, “I continued schooling in line with that dream. However, the opportunity present at the time when I was ready to begin my academic journey was Nursing School at the KNUST.”
“After four years in nursing school and a year working as a nurse at the St. Martins Catholic Hospital, I still felt an inclination that I could do a lot more for God. Thus, I heard about the opportunity to pursue the Graduate Entry Medicine Program at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) through Dr. Peter Biney, the Vice Dean of the School of Pharmacy in UCC” she said in the interview.
Sharing on the challenges during the programme of study, Sr. Dr. Yeboah said “Medical school general presents a myriad of challenges. With UCC’s reputation of being an academically rigorous institution, you can imagine the difficulty presented.”
“I had to soon formulate effective learning strategies to be able to cope with the academic demands. It was challenging finding a balance between the huge academic loads and long School hour vis-à-vis my Church responsibilities,” she said.
She narrated that “Going through medical school required that certain sacrifices be made. For instance, I often had to miss some congregational programs and workshops due to the long periods spent in school”.
Sr. Emmanuella Dakurah, HHCJ, a Sister Communicator asked what her advice to the young ones after her in the Congregation would be and Sr. Dr. (Med) Yeboah answered: “My example proves that the successful pursuit of such a vocation is very much possible.”
“I encourage all young women who feel called into the Religious Life to believe in the possibility of their dreams, discuss them with the appropriate authorities, and seek the necessary counsel and support as they go about these pursuits,” she urged.
In an appreciation to her Congregation, Sr. Dr. Yeboah said medical school was tough and psychologically draining and she felt like quitting on several occasions but the thought of her Congregation especially Ghana Province desiring to train some Sisters as medical doctors kept her going.
According to Sr. Dr. Yeboah, she never knew how it was going to end but she believed God kept His covenant with her. She thanked her Congregation for the unflinching support and prayed that many Sisters would soon join her to build a strong healthcare system for the province and the congregation.
By Sr. Emmanuella Dakurah HHCJ (Sister Communicator)
