Personally I cannot say when I had my first drink because I believe I was just too young to remember. I believe I must have been three or four years old then because it was definitely before I went to any sort of school. My grandmother who was very influential in my early life believed … Continue reading HEALTHY ALCOHOL USE; WHERE SHOULD WE DRAW THE LINE ?
Most of us have heard of the use of chicken soup to cure common cold or flu symptoms, today I decided to do a literature search to determine if there is any evidence supporting this common recommendation. I can promise you that if chicken soup were produced by a drug company that companies stock will … Continue reading CHICKEN SOUP FOR COLDS AND FLU SYMPTOMS!! DOES IT REALLY WORK ?
I recently read that America has about 270 - 310 million guns, and with a population estimate of 310 million, that is almost as many guns as for every man, woman and child in this country. That got me thinking and I eventually came to the conclusion that as an adult male who officially became a … Continue reading Where is my gun ? American democracy and the 2nd Amendment
Gun violence in the USA and road traffic accidents in Ghana share one thing in common both countries have decided to leave their respective problems in the hand of God. In the past 2 weeks I have been reminded of these two problems by events that brought these age-old problems into the public view. On … Continue reading UNSAFE ROADS IN GHANA AND GUNS IN USA, LET’S LEAVE THE SOLUTION IN GOD’S HANDS!!
Over the years laws on cannabis use have changed. Most of these changes were not based on any strong levels of evidence but were based on social perception. In this article I seek to highlight some of the issues associated with these changes and address the potential benefits of more liberal legislation on cannabis.
Growing up in Ghana towards the end of the 20th century, Africa to most Americans and "sh*thole" as Trump would say the environment under which we lived was one of that was very much carved by the impact of European imperialist culture. Most Africans irrespective of religious persuasion have a non-African name which identifies them with … Continue reading AN AFRICAN’S RESPONSE TO TRUMP ERA IMMIGRATION ISSUES
As a student in medical school I have a host of memories that I believe would still remain vivid in my mind for ages. One such image is my experience as a 4th year medical student observing an amputation. The consultant orthopedic surgeon gave us a brief history of the patient. The patient was a … Continue reading HEALTH EQUITY, IS IT REALLY ACHIEVABLE?
Prostate cancer screening always raises a lot of controversy on account various reasons; most notable among these is the nature of the physical exam recommended for screening, digital rectal exam (DRE). On a discussion on digital rectal exam one Ghanaian friend of mine said categorically " there would be no gay probing of my nether … Continue reading PROSTATE CANCER SCREENING, AN ONGOING CONTROVERSY.
Race has been a defining characteristic in America over the years due to historical elements of American society. In the 1600s European settlers in the New World transitioned a system of slavery and indentured servitude into an economic system that enabled them to provide resources such as sugar and cotton to the Old world. This … Continue reading MARTIN LUTHER KING Jr. after 50 years his Dream still lives on
As an immigrant from Ghana I have the liberty of blaming all my weight gain on the American diet and a lifestyle with less physical activity. Whilst the kinds of foods we eat play a major role in weight gain physical activity may be a bigger culprit. Over the course of 16 years I have … Continue reading HEALTHY WEIGHT GAIN !! IS THIS AN OXYMORON IN TODAYS WORLD ?
As a physician from Ghana brought up in a very religious family, I must admit that when it comes to gay rights and other issues related to sexual minorities I was as far to the right as anyone could be. My first experience with openly gay individuals was when I came to the United States. … Continue reading How I evolved from a tolerant physician to one with a healthy appreciation of alternate lifestyles
Today I would be talking about a problem that affects a large proportion of men. This is a condition most men have experienced before and concerns women very much since it affects them very directly. I still remember a patient telling me about his experience with premature ejaculation, he was really concerned because he really … Continue reading HOW LONG MUST A MAN LAST DURING SEX ?
My first HIV patient that I cared for was in Korle-bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana in the late 1990s. I can still remember the woman in her mid-thirties who we had admitted with symptoms suggestive of meningo-encephalitis; I do not really remember whether I was a house-officer or a final year medical student. I had … Continue reading HIV IN GHANA: PROGRESS AND STAGNATION
President Trump declared a National Public Health Emergency this week; in his statement from the Whitehouse he was not talking about HIV or Hepatitis C nor was he referring to the increased incidence of gun violence in the country. The President’s statements focused on a very different Public Health problem, he was talking about America’s high incidence … Continue reading THE OPIOID CRISIS IN AMERICA TODAY – WHAT MUST WE DO AS A NATION ?
Current reports from the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) suggest that the United States is second on the list of countries with the highest per capita consumption of opioids. Data from 2014 quotes U.S. use of opiates at 700 mg per capita per year. The only country that has a higher per capita use is … Continue reading AMERICA’S LOVE AFFAIR WITH PRESCRIPTION PAIN PILLS
Illinois Senator Dick Durbin introduced the Dream Act in Congress in 2001 due to a story told him by a music teacher about the life of Tereza Lee a Korean girl whose parents had come to the US from Korea through Brazil. This bill unfortunately fell victim to what happens to all of us; life. … Continue reading WORDS CAN KILL, AND DO KILL – THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF THE DREAM ACT (DEFERRED ACTION FOR CHILDHOOD ARRIVALS)
For those who do not know my heritage I am Ghanaian by birth and moved to the United States about 16 yrs ago. In the US I have never been able to escape being mistaken for a Nigerian, Caribbean American or African American among a whole host of origins and associations. I have no problem … Continue reading THE STRUGGLE FOR A NEW AMERICA – II
After watching the dash-cam video of the shooting of Philando Castile by police officer Geronimo Yanez, I was extremely shocked at the composure and calmness of the late Castile and his girlfriend Diamond Reynolds whilst the trained police officer sounded and acted very much uncontrolled and panicked. This one incident, which has been watched many … Continue reading DRIVING WHILE BLACK – IMPLICIT RACIAL BIAS AND THE SAFETY OF BLACK MOTORISTS
Source: DARRYL F GATES OF BLESSED MEMORY – AN UNLIKELY HERO FOR IMMIGRATION
Special Order No. 40; I heard of this policy on one of the podcasts that I listen to, and thought that was really smart thinking so I decided to look into its origins. After reading about this I gained a lot of respect and admiration for the late Darryl F Gates, Los Angeles Police Chief 1978 … Continue reading DARRYL F GATES OF BLESSED MEMORY – AN UNLIKELY HERO FOR IMMIGRATION
