Read more about Everyday Heroes
Early years
Born in Kufai, Gombe State, Nigeria, his first name (Samkon) means “truth” in the Tangale language, and his last name means “inheritance”. His family moved from Kufai to Wheaton, Illinois when Gado was half a year old; his father attended Wheaton College during that time. They returned to Nigeria when Samkon was two years old. After moving back to Nigeria, his father migrated again in 1990 to earn a doctorate degree in divinity at Columbia International University. A church in South Carolina made a financial contribution a year later so that Gado and his mother could also travel to America. Gado is a Christian. He is married with four children. He received a bachelor’s degree in health promotions while taking pre-med courses at Liberty University. In 2015, he graduated from Medical University of South Carolina. Gado is a chief resident in the Saint Louis University Hospital otolaryngology program, treating COVID-19 patients. He co-founded a non-governmental organization with his sister, The Jonah Inheritance, to improve independent healthcare in Nigeria.The Jonah Inheritance
Founded by the brother and sister duo, Dr Samkon Gado & Ruth Gado Coleman, the Jonah Inheritance is a Christian non-profit organization providing high-quality medical care to Africa’s most vulnerable populations. As a Christ-centered community health development organization, they believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ compels them to restore well-being and build thriving communities in measurable ways. As Nigerians, this mission is personal. The desire is to see the land whole.Sign up to the Connect Nigeria daily newsletter
The Jonah Inheritance: A Strategy for Substantial Outcomes
The Jonah Inheritance focuses on local physicians, investing its resources to equip and empower those best positioned to serve the community. This they do, through an ownership structure that can radically affect the overall prosperity and health of the people and communities they serve.The Jonah Inheritance: Building Networks of Health
The goal is to create health systems that provide primary care as well as access to safe and affordable surgical care. To do that, they must begin at the local level.- Create multiple primary care clinics that will be operated by African doctors.
- Develop an information management system to collect and collate medical data.
- Establish a sustainable healthcare financing model.
- Develop a high-functioning outpatient surgical centre.
- Develop ancillary services to support the work of the primary care clinics and surgical centre.
- Duplicate the model in other underserved African communities.
The Jonah Inheritance: A Vision for Wellness in Africa
To address the medical and surgical needs of Africans, they seek to provide opportunities and resources for African doctors to serve at all levels of healthcare. They aim to create sustainable and scalable healthcare networks by building on the strengths of our physicians and their communities. The approach will be driven by Christ-centered evidence-based models that are focused on improving the communities and long-term health of Nigeria and beyond.Got a suggestion? Contact us: editor at connectnigeria dot com
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