Mercy Dawson

Dr Mercy Dawson is the resident ophthalmologist at St. Dominic Hospital, Akwatia, who finds a lot of satisfaction working to preserve vision among the underserved, where reversible and preventable blindness is more rampant. To her, the restoration of sight is also the reaffirmation of hope. She was the first woman to hold the position of Medical Superintendent of St. Dominic Hospital and served for 13 years, from 2004 to 2017. Prior to that, she was the Clinical Coordinator from 2002 to 2004.

She obtained her MBChB from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana in 1994, and Diploma in Ophthalmology from West Africa College of Surgeons (WACS) in 2002 and her Membership in 2020. After her housemanship in Medicine, Surgery, Paediatrics and Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi from 1994 to 1996 and a year of service at the same health facility, she was posted to St. Dominic Hospital in 1998 as a Medical Officer where she has been working for the past 23 years. There, she helped set up the Rubsam Eye Clinic at the hospital in 2002, with assistance from the German Rotary Volunteer Doctors and Hospital Management.

Dr Dawson spends her free time on medical outreaches across the country. These include offering voluntary surgical outreaches at Holy Family Hospital, Nkawkaw, Enyiresi Government Hospital, Asesewa Government Hospital (2012), Afram Plains (2010 World Sight Day activity), Friends Eyeclinic Tamale (November 2021), Our Lady of Grace Catholic Hospital, Breman Asikuma, (fortnightly), and Asuoso Hospital, Akim Asuoso (monthly). She has been supporting a medical team from Catholic Medical Centre, Korea to undertake cataract surgeries at Holy Family Hospital, Nkawkaw, Ghana. Mercy is also a volunteer surgeon for the Ghana National Cataract Outreach Program/ Himalayan Cataract Project.

In 2008, she was named and awarded a Paul Harris Fellow in appreciation of tangible and significant assistance given for the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relations among peoples of the world. She was also nominated for and subsequently participated in the 2015 Rotary Host Project with seven other ophthalmologists selected globally. This was held in Florida, USA, sponsored by the Mercy Ship, The Williams Foundation and The Rotary Club of Jacksonville, Florida.

Mercy has served as a guest speaker, facilitator, and panel participant in numerous international eye care and public health symposia. Towards her pursuit of professional enhancement in ophthalmology, she has participated in numerous ophthalmology conferences around the world. Mercy has also received training in small incision cataract surgery in Erode, India (December 2008 / January 2009).

She is professionally affiliated to the Ghana Medical Association, Ophthalmological Society of Ghana, Medical Women Association of Ghana, and West African College of Surgeons.

Mercy is married with two children.