A Ghanaian, who is a midwife domiciled in the UK and a member of the Royal College Of Midwives (RCM) UK, Mrs. Angelina Ankomah, has been adjudged the Overall Best Midwife of the Year by the National BAME Health and Care Awards, UK on 6th May, 2021.
Mrs. Ankomah, who is a lead Midwife and a diabetes specialist at the West Herts NHS Trust, Watford General Hospital, Hertfordshire, won the award for her exceptional and dedicated service in the provision of the best possible care for gestational diabetes patients, especially among the Black Asian Minority Ethic Patient (BAME Patients) about three-quarters (¾) of who were found to develop type 2 diabetes later, after having gestational diabetes.
She has also embarked on a quality improvement journey where she has successfully, completed numerous quality improvement projects over the past three (3) years and has been instrumental in highlighting the excellent care delivered by her team to the Trust, which was previously not recognized by her Department.
According to the citation accompanying the award, penned by the lead Endocrinologist for the Trust, Dr. Tom Galliford, Angelina as she is affectionately called by her colleagues and patients, is very dedicated, hardworking, passionate and her approachable nature stands her out as being a ROLE MODEL and inspirational leader for her midwife colleagues.
Angelina has been instrumental in rolling out new technology for the management of mothers with gestational diabetes and was involved in a research for the use of the project and her introduction of new national guidelines and technology are now fully adopted and embedded in the Trust, which has also highlighted the excellent care delivered and improved the outcome of the mothers of the BAME origin.
Dr. Anku Mehta, lead consultant obstetrician and diabelogist of the same Trust also agrees that Angelina has driven excellence amongst other members of the midwifery team who do not have expertise in the field of diabetes. She is exceedingly competent, dynamic, asset to the health fraternity and a pleasure to work with.
During the COVID 19 pandemic, Angelina quickly implemented new National Pathways for the diagnosis and management of gestational diabetes Mellitus, which ensured that the risk for the mothers was minimized, both with regards to the unnecessary exposure to the virus, as well the risk of developing diabetes in pregnancy.
She also ensured that the media speculation regarding the disproportionate impact of COVID 19 on BAME communities is discussed and the concerns dealt with and the mothers assured. Angelina is very passionate about increasing awareness on how to prevent type-2 diabetes through health promotions and is truly an inspirational personality whose works and projects have improved care and outcomes of the diabetic mothers especially of the BAME origin. Angelina started her education at the Labone Secondary School in Accra in 1989 and continued and completed Accra Polytechnic in 1991.
At the UK she enrolled at the University of Hertfordshire where she had her Diploma in Adult Nursing before gaining her B.Sc in Midwifery at the same institution. She also completed Post Graduate Certificate Studies in Management of Diabetes in Pregnancy at the renowned University of Warwick.
Angelina’s ardently endearing attachment to excellence and the dictions and accolades employed by her supervisors to describe her personality in the citation must be applauded by all. She has indeed made Ghana proud by this unprecedented and historic achievement
