Charles Odamtten Easmon : Meet the Ghanaian who was First to Perform an Open-Heart Surgery

A Ghanaian man known as Charles Odamtten Easmon made his way into the history books of Ghana after becoming the first professional surgeon and first person to have performed a successful open-heart surgery in Ghana.

YEN.com.gh has highlighted some background information worth knowing about this pace setter.

Growing up

As the first child of his parents, John Farrell Easmon and Kate Salome Odamtten, Charles was birthed on September 22, 1913 in Adawso. He had five siblings.

Academic background

Charles' academic journey started in 1918 at Osu St Thomas School and from there he continued to Osu Presbyterian Boys' Boarding School in 1928.

The brilliant young man successfully acquired a Cadbury scholarship to study at Achimota College and in 1935 after his secondary education, he gained yet again another scholarship to pursue medicine at the University of Edinburgh.

Read also

Ken Agyapong provides full scholarship worth Ghc84k for son of NDC assemblyman to study at Harvard University

Becoming a fully fledged Medical doctor

After schooling abroad, Charles Odamtten Easmon landed a job at Korle Bu Hospital and through hard work and commitment, he rose through the ranks finally becoming in-charge at the hospital.

He was appointed by the then president of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah as the Chief Medical Officer of Ghana and on September 1962, he officially assumed the role.

Becoming a Professor

After the University of Ghana Medical School was established, Charles was posted there and eventually became the first dean and Professor.

His nuclear family

Charles Odamtten Easmon got married to a lady called Genevieve Dove and had seven children with her.

Passing away

After retiring in July 1993, he died at age of 80 on May 19, 1994.

Matilda J Clerk: Meet the Ghanaian Woman who was First to Receive Scholarship in any Field to Study Abroad

Read also

Pretty lady celebrated for getting first-class & winning female valedictorian award

YEN.com.gh earlier reported that, Matilda Johanna Clerk was known in the history of Ghana to have been the first woman in any field who have received a scholarship based on academic merit to study abroad.

She also doubles as the second Ghanaian woman to have acquired a university degree, making her the fourth lady in West Africa to become a university graduate.

On March 2, 1916, Matilda was born to the Clerk family, known for many ”firsts”.

Her father, Nicholas Timothy Clerk, was the first Clerk of the Presbyterian Church of the then Gold Coast and the founding father of Presbyterian Boy's Secondary School. Theodore Clerk, her brother, was the first architect in Ghana and spearheaded the design of the Tema Harbour.

Source: YEN.com.gh