Prof. Tim Johnson Goes Home to Eternity: A Legacy That Rekindles Purpose
I am involved in the training of health cadres—midwives, nurses, medical students, house officers, and residents. It is work that demands everything: time, energy, patience, and a kind of love that often goes unreciprocated. There are days I feel spent, poured out like water on dry ground. Days when the slothful attitudes of some, the hurtful comments, the disinformation and misinformation of those unable to see beyond the now, make me question whether my efforts are truly worth it. I’ve contemplated channeling my energy elsewhere—somewhere less draining, somewhere more immediately rewarding.
But then I sat in the memorial service of Prof. Tim Johnson two days ago.
And everything shifted.
As tribute after tribute poured in—raw, heartfelt, unfiltered—I was reminded of what it means to live a life that echoes far beyond its years. Prof. Johnson was not just a physician. He was a builder of futures. A quiet revolutionary. A man who saw the brokenness in maternal health systems and chose not to walk away, but to walk in.
In the mid-1980s, Ghana faced a dire shortage of obstetricians and gynecologists. The maternal mortality rate was staggering. The infrastructure was fragile. The brain drain was real. But Prof. Johnson didn’t flinch. He partnered with Ghanaian colleagues, not as a saviour, but as a co-labourer. Together, they birthed the country’s first in-country ObGyn residency programme—a feat that many thought impossible.
It wasn’t easy. There were bureaucratic hurdles, cultural complexities, and resource constraints. But Prof. Johnson believed in the power of local capacity. He believed in Ghana. And he believed that sustainable change must be rooted in collaboration, not control.
Over 250 physicians were trained through that programme. Ninety-eight percent remain in Ghana, serving, teaching, leading. The ripple effect has been phenomenal. That statistic is not just impressive—it’s sacred. It speaks to a legacy that chose depth over breadth, impact over applause.
But Prof. Johnson’s influence didn’t stop at Ghana’s borders. His model of partnership and capacity-building has been replicated across counties. He became a global icon in maternal health—not because he sought recognition, but because he sought results. He mentored, he listened, he built. And in doing so, he gave countless women safer births, countless families fuller lives.
Reflectintrospection
As I sat in that memorial service, surrounded by voices that had been lifted by his work, I felt something rekindle in me. A quiet fire. A reminder that the work we do—however exhausting, however underappreciated—is not in vain.
That every student we mentor, every cadre we train, every life we touch, is a thread in a tapestry far greater than ourselves.
Prof. Johnson died a little every day for the good of others. And in doing so, he lived more fully than most ever will.
So, I choose to continue. Not because it’s easy. But because it’s necessary. Because if one man could help reshape a nation’s maternal health landscape, then surely we, too, can give a little more. Die a little more. Love a little more.
Prof. Johnson has gone home to eternity. But his legacy lives in every delivery room, every classroom, every heart that dares to believe in a better future.
Serenity Prayer
May we be brave enough to live our purpose and stop chasing after titles, certificates, positions and accolades with no impacts on humanity. Amen
