By Charles Quist-Adade, PhD

April 17, 2010; Surrey, BC -- More than 200 members of the Ghanaian community and their friends participated in a historic first—the inauguration of the Ghanaian Canadian Nurses Association of British Columbia (GCNABC) at the St. Bernadette Parish Hall in Surrey.

According to the association’s pioneer president, Mrs. Judith Lartey, the GCNABC was conceived when in August 2009, a group of Canadian registered nurses of Ghanaian descent in British Columbia “recognized the need to formalize their commitment to improving the needs of their community in the health sector.” The vision of GCNABC is to create an enabling environment where family and friends could have the best of health care delivery and where the youth could be inspired to take up the vocation of health care and contribute their quota to their community.

Its mission is to improve the health care needs of the community with a special focus on promoting the development of health care through the education of more Ghanaians in the health care sector as well as supporting those in need. The following officers were introduced to the audience.

President, Mrs. Judith Lartey, Vice President, Mrs Edna Kwadzovia, Secretary, Mrs. Ophelia Ofosu-hene. Others are: Assistant Secretary, Miss Jackie Kouffie, Treasurer, Mrs. Mary Frimpong, Assistant Treasurer, Mrs. Vida Odoom. The rest are: Organizing Secretary, Mrs. Emma Tay, Assistant Organizing Secretary, Mrs. Comfort Ayesu-Attah, and Public Relations Officer, Miss Barbara Boakye-Yadom.