Meet the 1st female Dr in Ghana's history whose work brought the term Kwashiokor
- Susan Ofori-Atta was a princess who became the 1st medical doctor in the history of Ghana
- She was the daughter of Nana Sir Ofori Atta I and his wife Nana Akosua Doudu and her life was filled with amazing exploits right from school
- Susan Ofori-Atta was the brain behind the medical term 'Kwashiokor' and was a founding member of the Pediatric Department in the University of Ghana, among others
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Susan Ofori-Atta whose name later became Susan de-Graft Johnson was a local princess who became the first Ghanaian female doctor in the history of Ghana (then Gold Coast).
Ghanamuseum.com reports that the brilliant woman was born in Kyebi as far back as 1917 and was the daughter of Nana Sir Ofori Atta I and his wife Nana Akosua Doudu.
Nana Sir Ofori Atta I was the Okyenhene and Paramount Chief of the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area. Susan was an extremely brilliant child who started her secondary education at Achimota Secondary School at the tender age of 12.
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The princess enrolled in Achimota only two years after the school was started in 1927. As one of the pioneers, Susan's performance was unparalleled as she quickly emerged top in every class she was in.
Susan Ofori-Atta was made the Girls’ Head Prefect when she was in final year and also became one of the few ladies who sat for the Cambridge School Certificate and passed.
The brilliant princess further practised midwifery at Korle-Bu during her tertiary education level and further continued her education at Edinburgh University Medical School, where she obtained her MB, Ch.B degree in 1949.
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With the groundbreaking achievement, the princess became the first-ever female medical doctor in the Gold Coast which is now Ghana.
Her life as a practising medical doctor was as amazing and brilliant as her education. Susan Ofori-Atta became a founding member of the Pediatric Department in the University of Ghana.
Susan conducted research into malnutrition in children and named the findings of her research work “Kwashiokor”, a Ga word which became part of the medical vocabulary. Her amazing exploits were not only in the medical field.
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Susan was a member of the 1969 Constituent Assembly which drafted the Constitution for the Second Republic of Ghana and got honoured by the University of Ghana in 1974 with an honorary Doctor of Science for her pioneering research work into childhood malnutrition.
Sadly, Ghana lost this great woman in July 1985.
In other news, the Ghanaian-born British by name Mariah Coby who was in Ghana to mark the Year of Return festivities has narrated that she lost her iPhone 11 Pro in Ghana and later bought it at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
