Ing. Emmanuel Wireko-Brobby, a Consultant, Principal Clinical Engineer and Head of the Electrical Engineering Unit of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), recently emerged the 1st Runner-up, out of the 19 categories at the hospital’s Annual Thanksgiving Service, Long Service and 2024 Best Staff Awards ceremony.
Mr. Wireko-Brobby’s feat is not just worthy of mention, but also historic because no staff of KATH has ever won the category awards twice or come back close to winning again the ultimate annual awards since it was instituted in the 70 years history of the hospital.
He won the Over-all Best Staff award in 2019 and did not recoil in his shell. His dedication to duty and tenacity brought him back to winning the 1st Runner-up after six years. He took home GHc15,000 as his prize.
Ing. Wireko-Brobby started his career at KATH in 2001 as a Trainee and later did his National Service with the hospital, before he was later employed as a Clinical Engineering Technologist in 2009 – rising through the ranks to become the Principal Clinical Engineering Manager eventually.
In 2019, he was promoted to head the Electrical Engineering Unit and he pulled a surprise the same year when he was adjudged the Overall Best Staff of the over 4,500 staff population at KATH.
The passion for his work, humility and leadership by example are rare qualities, which spur him on to always join his team to perform challenging tasks even inside the hospital trenches, which are qualities of dedication, visionary, exemplary leadership and commitment to work.
Portions of a citation presented to Ing. Wireko-Brobby by KATH read “In the year 2024, you demonstrated exceptional skills through timely interventions that ensured the hospital’s generators were back in operation during critical moments.
“Your tireless efforts to facilitate reconnection to alternative power sources during outages have been lifesaving, particularly for patients in critical areas such as the ICU, Dialysis units and Operating Theatres.
“Additionally, your innovative approach has eliminated human control of security lighting, transitioning all street lights from manual to automatic switching contributing to improved efficiency and safety across the hospital.
“Your commitment to ensuring the proper functioning of the hospital’s infrastructure is evident in your activities. Even when faced with threats from external entities, you boldly took action to disconnect an illegal power tap inside the military barracks, prioritising the integrity and safety of KATH’s systems” and “to secure a transformer from ECG for the Nursing Training School, alleviating pressure on the hospital’s power system and reducing overall energy costs”.
Ing. Wireko-Brobby’s hard work also won him several citations and a presidential award (Presidential Honour) by Jubilee House in 2023 and several other awards including 2024 KATH’s Best Technical Staff, 2022 and 2021 Invention Awards by the Ghana Institution of Engineering, 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic Award and 2019 KATH Best Support Staff.
He is an inventor of no mean repute with more than 15 different hospital equipment to his credit. They include Radiant Warmer or Phototherapy device, X-ray film viewer, Wheelchair, Water purity tester, Infants bed, Drip Stand and Theatre lamp. He has also produced a Leg Crutch and a Prosthetic Limbs.
An intelligent and humble character, Mr. Wireko-Brobby enjoys the fieldwork with his subordinates rather than to stay in the comfort of his luxurious office because he believes leadership is demonstrated by examples.
He said 68 years after Dr. Kwame Nkrumah declared that the black man was capable of managing his own affairs, it is sad for the country to still import common items like needles and staple pins because of lack of support for innovations and inventions.
The 24-hour economy policy by President John Mahama or any industrialization policy for the country, according to him, would only be an illusion if it does not factor the “engineering fraternity” through the support to develop and invest in the Ghanaian engineers.
He said it is time the State or government, philanthropists, NGOs and corporate institutions begin to invest in his talents because he has a lot to offer and that he is passionate and determined to contribute his quota to the development of the country.
From Thomas AgbenyegahAdzey, Kumasi
