16/11/2021
THE NATION IS TOO QUIET. SHE SHOULD NOT. A NATIONAL ASSET IS GONE. LET US SHOW THAT WE KNOW.
When I saw the kinds of people who paraded themselves as celebrities before the inspector General of police, the sorts of rights and privileges they thought they deserved, and the sorts of questions they posed to the Leadership regarding their entitled status, I knew the whole country was sick in according National Mourning and state burial to some of them.
My suspicion has been given a strong backing in the demise of the man E. Q. Archampong BSc. M.S (London), FRCS (ED & ENG), FICS, FWACS, FGA, FACS (HON.), FGCS COV.
Emeritus Professor of Surgery
Former Head of Department of Surgery
Former Dean, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Ghana.
Visiting Professor of Surgery, University of Manitoba,
Formerly Chief Examiner in Final FWACS
Formerly Examiner in Anatomy, Primary FRCS (England)
Formerly External Examiner, Universities of Lagos, Ibadan, Nigeria, Amadu Bello and Zambia, Zimbabwe University, University of Benin, KNUST
For those who don't know, all those abbreviations that follow his name are the summation of everything achievable in Surgery through blood and toil Nationally, Regionally, Internationally and Globally.
He left England to come and settle in this country, his Country Ghana, to help build up the surgical department and train Medical Students and Surgical Specialiats to be like him.
He made sure he published a text book, in collaboration with his Contemporaries, that has been the go to manual for every Medical Student and Surgery Lecturer in Ghana and beyond. We who the publication BAJA'S PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF SURGERY INCLUDING PATHOLOGY IN THE TROPICS has helped simply call it BAJA. It is actually the abbreviation of the names of the Authors: Badoe, Archampong, Jaja.
Which Surgical Fellow, Medical Student and Doctor, especially, products of the University of Ghana and University of Science and Technology will deny knowing, and/or having been taught by, Prof Archampong?
The Doctors at the Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Health, and the other Ministries, are you aware Prof. Archampong is no more?
The Rev. Doctors, especially those who were in cassocks and clericals trying to outshine each other at Ebony's state funeral because she was a celebrity and the manner of her death and the lessons to be learnt from the recklessness and wanton disregard to road safety did not matter, are you aware that a man greater than 'Ebony Reigns' has taken a bow out of the affairs of this life?
Well, you might not know. But now you know.
An irreplaceable man in the History of the Country's Establishment and place in the West African Subregion as a destination for clean surgeries is no more.
And for the fact that he emptied himself in us, let us not let his memory just slide unnoticed.
Let's make noise and let people know that it not only pays to drop out of school to advertise butts and b***s with a mike on stage and a tune that intends a pun in one case and metaphorically speaks of another thing, but also Staying in School and making the Sacrifice of coming back home to impact the lives of all the generation of Doctors in the Country is worth much more.
Our noise will not come through shouting. Let me propose how we make noise in celebrating a great Celebrity so that the Powers that be can wake up and immortalise this great man:
1. All Doctors in the field who have been taught or examined by this man can appear at work in mourning clothes or simply in a red arm bands or bandanas this week. I will.
2. All Doctors in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Health who have been taught by this man can request the Ghana flags in your premises fly at half mast this week in his memory.
3. The Flags on the University Campuses that Prof. has passed through should kindly fly at half Mast.
4. The Flags on the various Hospital Premises, especially Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Must fly at half Mast.
5. The flags in the Premises of the Ghana Medical Association and the Ghana Medical and Dental Council Must fly at Half Mast.
6. If Possible, the Flags on the Principal streets of Accra, especially those that adorn the Streets of the Independence Square and the Jubilee House, may Fly at Half Mast
7. A Prof. Archampong Memorial Day be observed for such a great man.
This is the way we can encourage the youth, when they see what is going on around us and ask questions, to aspire to become the Next Archampong. The Next Badoe. The Next us!
*Dr Adippa-Adaboe*
