Before coming to Germany, Clement Jafani Nabare worked as a ‘general duty’ doctor (general medicine, surgery and administration) in Kintampo Hospital in the Brong-Ahafo region. ‘We encountered all kinds of cases and had to deal with the fact that there were hardly any urologists in Ghana. When I received a scholarship, I went to Rotenburg to train in urology, general surgery and urogynaecology.”

The lack of skilled health staff is Nabare’s main motivation to offer workshops for medical students, nurses and intermediate health care professionals in the North of Ghana. Since 2009, he has used all his vacation time to do so. “We all have to be prepared to sacrifice time, energy and money to make a difference in the long run. Bringing about change is never easy.”

In the workshops, he focuses on specialised – particularly urological – care. “The nurses and other professionals are now able to deal with simple problems and can provide pre- and post-operative care. Some of them can also pass on their new skills to colleagues. Whenever I return to Ghana, in the Tamale and Kintampo hospitals: they did not have a urology department, there was no nurse who knew how to take care of urology cases. But now this has definitely changed.”

Nabare keeps his students’ expertise up to date by offering refresher courses. They are always happy to see him, although he is not the easiest of teachers. “People sometimes think I’m difficult, because I emphasize the need for discipline and punctuality. At the same time, I try to be a living example of my own teachings.”

Clement Jafani Nabare is very clear about the importance of the MIDA Ghana Health project: “The effect is huge; its impact cannot be just expressed in terms of money.” For other professionals contemplating to share their knowledge with colleagues in their home country, he has a word of encouragement: “This whole project makes me very happy. You should see me in Ghana, working with a big smile on my face.”