Doctor lauded for helping young patient prepare for BECE at hospital ward

When a young patient, Caleb Giftan, insisted on taking his books to the hospital ward, little did he know that he will get a qualified medical doctor to teach him science.

Caleb’s family had become worried after he started complaining of pain in his left leg one afternoon in November 2018 upon returning from school.

The family initially resorted to finding supernatural remedies as they suspected the ‘mysterious illness’ to be a case of a spiritual attack.

As the condition of the final year junior high school pupil worsened, he was rushed to the LEKMA Hospital in Teshie, Accra, for treatment on January 15, whereupon admission, he asked his mother to get him his textbooks, a request which was duly granted him to the admiration of Dr. Eleanor Naa Norkor Light who volunteered to help him in his revisions.

Impressed by the 14-year-old’s love for his books in spite of his condition, Dr. Light used her free times to take him through some topics in General Science and Mathematics, while calming his nerves with words of encouragement.

Speaking in an interview with Lord Kweku Sekyi, Abdul Salam, elder brother of Caleb, who had shared photos of the doctor and his brother on social media, expressed gratitude to management staff as well as doctors and nurses of LEKMA Hospital for their professionalism and dedication to service.

He said, amid several criticisms of Ghana’s health care system, the sacrifice of some workers must not be overlooked since it helps in improving both the physical and psychological well-being of patients.

Mr. Salam said he is hopeful that his brother, who now moves around in a wheelchair after losing control of his lower limbs, will recover in time to join his colleagues in school.

Now discharged, Caleb, a pupil of Manle Dada JHS, in Accra, says his situation keeps improving by the day and hopes to be in good shape for the upcoming exam which has been rescheduled for 10th to 14th June 2019 instead of an earlier date, 3rd to 7th June.

The Ghana Education Service, in a statement on 8th November 2018 urged heads of basic schools to take notice of the revised date and prepare candidates accordingly.

Over 500,000 registered candidates are expected to sit for this year’s BECE organised by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).