Wanderings of the lost boy – 3

My name is De-Graft. You can choose to call me Digi/DeGi/De-Ge/DeG…etc, whichever works for you. I am a medical student in my 5^th year of study. As part of our requirements for the medical school programme, in 5^th year we are posted to various districts to experience medicine outside the boundaries of the teaching hospital. We also collect data for our final year project work and thesis. I hope to take you along with me on my exciting trip with these memoires. Enjoy!

 

Episode 3 – On top of the world!

 

1

So the taxi driver stops in front of the hospital for me to get off but I inform him that I will have to go to the district health directorate this morning before returning to the clinic. He drives off and I get to the health directorate in no time. On Monday, an appointment was arranged with the Director to meet today since she promised she would’ve returned from her travel. I don’t give her a call to confirm though, but I move there anyway hoping to meet her. Much to my disappointment, she is not around when I get there. I call her and she informs me that she will not be around on that day.

I need to present to her a printout of the competencies we are supposed to achieve with our posting which is supposed to be based on Public Health (Not on clinical practice as I have had here so far). I meet the deputy director though, a very pleasant middle aged woman who listens to my concerns and advises that I return tomorrow with them.

I walk all the way back to the clinic (It’s about a 15 – minute walk). Today, the day is good with fewer patients than there were on Monday. I’m working with a guy (probably in his late twenties or early thirties) who has been really nice to me ever since I got to the hospital. Actually, all the staff have been really nice to me. By midday, we are done seeing the patients for the day and I keep getting a better grasp of the work as time goes by. We’ve planned to step out into town when we are done seeing the patients. On Wednesdays, one of the Public Health routines goes on in the community. Hence, some of the health personnel are there and we decide to check up on them. Today they are having an immunization in the community centre. He suggests that we walk rather than use a car and I oblige. I am very interested in seeing the town of Pepease and I can’t let this perfect opportunity pass by.

As we walk down the streets, I admire the little town. It’s quiet and peaceful with an old city plan and structures that seem to no longer work. There is a community library, and then a post office. I didn’t ask if they were still in use though, but I can guess with almost all certainty that those structures are no longer in regular use. You can take a look for yourselves.

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At this point, I’m starting to fear for my life. I’ve been carrying one cute digital camera my dad gave me around and I’m taking pictures of everything interesting I see. I mean… people could start getting suspicious of me. Or probably, I’m just being paranoid. Anyway, on the same street, there is a tree – an old tree with pruned branches and no leaves. This is the tree the town was named after. It is said that it used to be a big tree and the townsfolk used to rest under the shade of its branches and leaves. It’s called Pepea. So the town Pepease means “Under the Pepea tree.”

He points at the Palace to me but I’m unable to take a picture of it as I am cautious not to raise any suspicions. Besides, there are a lot of people around as it is the town square. So um, dear reader… I’m sorry yeah? I’ll try to get a shot for you on another occasion.

 

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2

 

They are almost done with the immunization when we get there though and we socialize a bit. I find out that the community health nurse is an old time friend of the family and I start to feel a lot more comfortable and at home. After talking for a while, we set off back to the clinic.

 

On our way back, a young lady who came to the hospital on Monday comes running toward us with so much joy on her face! She is also getting better and I can’t help but smile broadly to myself! She’s due for review the next week Monday and I assure her that I’ll be there when she comes.

Not much happens for the rest of the day. I go back to the clinic, then to Abetifi and things go on routinely for the rest of the day.

 

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The next day (Thursday) is uneventful too. At the end of the day, the Physician Assistant in charge of the clinic comes around and he discusses some parts of my project framework I can improve. I’m very grateful for the help – only very famished.

 

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Friday is a happy day! The weekend is approaching and I can’t wait to start it. After work, I decide to take a short stroll along the streets that lead to the outskirts and I admire the beautiful houses along the road. There are very nice houses here, many of them not occupied by anyone. Many of the young to middle aged ones have migrated to the larger cities. When they make it out there, they return to build nice family houses here.

 

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3

 

On Saturday afternoon, I decide to visit Seth, a very good friend who lives in Mpraeso – three towns away from where I live. He is doing his community health posting at the Kwahu Government Hospital in Atibie, along with 8 other classmates of mine. I give him a call to let him know that I’ll be coming around. I need to find a way to make use of the free time I usually have after work. I did not take study material along with me so I go there with the aim of getting softcopies of lecture slides from him.

I get into a taxi bound for Mpraeso and tell the taxi driver that I will get down at Lion House. According to Seth, that is a very popular house in the town and every taxi driver will know about it. The driver of taxi I take though does not know the house and he stops at the wrong house at the outskirts of Mpraeso. But for the timely intervention of one woman there in the taxi, I would’ve been lost in no man’s land.

We finally get to our destination and I have no problems locating the famous Lion House – only that it’s a lot different from what I expected to see! I could use a thousand words to describe the house but you let me just drop a picture of it so you can see for yourself.

 

And here is the Lion too. The one the house is named after. Apparently, there were two Lions but one lost his life in a tragic car accident.

 

I’m so elated to meet Sethoo! He takes me in to his room and has a snack ready for me – such an excellent host! After feeding each other with our adventures, we get off with copying the lecture slides and some movies. We decide to step out while waiting for them to get copied so he can show me the town. It isn’t such a big town and it’s not so different from the other towns in the region. In our escapades though, we encounter this house – an old tired and thirsty house with an air conditioner fitted to it. I’m sure to get a shot of it… just for you!

 

We walk down the street to the taxi station at the town center and Seth points out to me which direction the hospital he works in is.

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4

 

It’s getting dark by this time and I have to get going. We return to get my stuff from Lion House and I board a taxi back to Abetifi.

 

Earlier on this day, I was captured standing at the Highest Habitable Point in the Whole of Ghana! 2,080 feet above sea level. It is located just outside the walls of this Church’s premises. From there, I can see the entire township of Abetifi and beyond, stretched out with such beauty!

The future is exciting, and I’m on top of the world!