Ruby Yayra Goka

Ruby Yayra Goka (born 15 May 1982, Accra) is a Ghanaian dentist and author. She is best known for being a multiple Burt Award for African Literature winner in Ghana.

Goka, who is an alumnus of the University of Ghana Dental School, currently heads the Dental Department of the Ho Teaching Hospital.

Early Life

Born in Accra, Ghana, Goka was born to Simon Yao Goka, a retired diplomat and Lydia Aku Goka, a stay-at-home-mother. When Ruby was two years old, her family moved to Ethiopia, where she attended the Peter Pan International School. When she was six, her family moved back to Ghana and she continued her basic and secondary education at the St. Anthony's School (1988–96) and Achimota School (1996–99) respectively both in Accra.

Career Goka worked for two years at the Ridge Hospital Accra, in Accra after obtaining a BDS from the University of Ghana Dental School in 2009. She later moved to Sogakofe, where she worked for two years at the South Tongu District Hospital. She is a fellow of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons after completing her residency training at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi in 2016 and her fellowship training at the University of Ghana Dental School, Accra in 2023. She currently heads the Dental Department of the Ho Teaching Hospital, Ho.

In 2010 and 2011, two of her works, The Mystery of the Haunted House and The Lost Royal Treasure won the third and second place respectively for the Burt Award for African Literature.

In 2017, Goka won an award in the Authorship and Creative Writing Category in the 40 under 40 awards in Ghana. She was also awarded a Medical Excellence Award in Dentistry in the same year.

Goka is also a 2017 Mandela Washington Fellow.