What can the Saudi Crown Prince learn from Russell Bell? By Dr. Leonard Sowah

holisticphysician

As any self respecting Baltimore resident I sometimes see business deals in terms of street culture. I must admit though that I am no expert in street culture however a conversation that I had with a Baltimore Street homeboy who claims to have personally known the real Nathan “Bodie” Barksdale the inspiration for the street gangster in the Wire, suggests that depictions of Street Culture in that TV series were very close to reality. I know you are wondering where I am going with this? I loveRead More…

How my Views on Abortion Evolved! By Dr. Yaw Berko

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I believe some issues are definitely first world problems. Women’s reproductive rights, unfortunately falls into that category. I have been amused at how abortion rights has so paralysed this nation to the extent the division it is creating can potentially lead to disastrous consequences on this great nation that needs to be “made great again.†I was born to a single mother and often wondered what if my mother was so overwhelmed that she felt the need to abort me? What would have happeneRead More…

A Nation in Pain, By Dr. Leonard Sowah

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Over the past two decades the United States has experienced an uncontrollable epidemic of drug related deaths. In 2016 sixty-three thousand Americans died of drug overdoses, two out of three of these deaths were due to opioids. In times like this whilst law enforcement and public health services grapple for solutions most may ask the question; “who is to blame for our current situation?” The simple answer to this question is, there is no single person or group that can be held culpable for this Read More…

Should convicted felons be allowed to vote in elections ?

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The whole of last week most of us have been debating or considering one way or the other if an individual accused but never convicted of attempted rape should be allowed to sit on the highest judicial bench in the land. That decision is a really big decision and would eventually be decided by our elected representatives in the senate. I have been thinking in my own way about all these goings ons but would like to look at things from a totally different point of view. Whilst all these discussionsRead More…

Why the US ranks so low in WHO (World Health Organization) Health System Rankings?

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A recent WHO ranking of health systems puts the US at number 37 between Costa Rica and Slovenia. This is more surprising since US heath expenditure per capita is twice that of the number one country France. The question that most people ask is why we rank so low if we spend so much on healthcare? The answer to this question is not that simple. The indices that drag the United States down on rankings are high maternal mortality rates, health equity and unequal access. Obamacare can potentiallRead More…

The ludicrousness of “Make America Great Againâ€

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Here in the United States, a group of people has appropriated upon themselves the sole responsibility of determining when America was great, that America had always been great but America needs to be made great again! I call them the “much touted self-righteous holier than thou sole custodians of America’s greatness and patriotism.†For them and only they have the rights to make such determinations! Even more unnerving for me is their inability to reconcile the oxymoronic stance of their dRead More…

Black Brother, are you safe? By Dr. Leonard Sowah

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For me my most favorite place in this world is my home, this does not hold true for my son though; he loves hotels. A few days ago I got the shock of my life. My whole world was turned upside down. As a black man in the US your safety is always a big question mark. One comedian D. L Hughley said the most dangerous place for a black man is in the imagination of white people. So my friend if you are white, please I need some help here, please make your imagination much safer for me. In September,Read More…

Secularism and Separation of Church from State: Where Do We Draw The Line? by Dr. Leonard Sowah

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My country of birth has been described as one of the most religious countries in the world. This is a crown that most Ghanaians wear proudly, whilst others would gladly avoid any mention of that.  On that account one can understand why an elected President of Ghana would consider building a national cathedral to be a priority for his country. This is a national edifice that is supposed to be non-denominational however I wonder what other religious groups think about this venture. On this I do Read More…

How can we keep our friends and families safer whilst protecting the Second Amendment?

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In a prior post I had dreamed of claiming my gun which I rightfully acquired as a citizen of this great nation. Unfortunately life always just appears to get in the way of the greatest ideas and like all great ideas that fateful journey to Arkansas for my gun has still not materialized. However, for some reason I just cannot get this out of my mind and I keep tossing the different scenarios in my head.
Whilst the whole idea of having my own AR-15 does excite me greatly and gets my heart pumping;Read More…

My Updated Obituary, by Dr. Yaw Berko

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With the passing of my school mate by several decades Mr. Kofi Annan I had to do some thinking on my own obituary. Everyone wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die, not me! You see for me “it’s the depth of life that matters not the length.†Like the saying goes â€let the moments in life count, don’t just count the moments.â€
Sometimes I ask myself what I want people to remember me for. Having lived in all strata of socio-economic spheres, I firmly believe that the destiny of a chRead More…

Generic Truvada; why is it still not available on the US market?

holisticphysician

In the US most patients who require PrEP (HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) get coverage for Truvada by their insurance companies. Patients with medicaid coverage have copays ranging from $3 – 25, however individuals with commercial insurance may have to pay up to $800 a month towards medication cost. This has proven to be a barrier for many patients seeking PrEP. Gilead Sciences who owns the patent for Truvada has generous co-pay cards that covers for these costs. This appears to work out for most Read More…

The Joys and Perils of Free Speech, Is It Really Worth It?

holisticphysician

More than 20 years ago I entered University of Ghana as a premed student in the Faculty of Science. The opportunity to start my college experience on the University Campus in Legon enabled me to interact with students pursuing other courses of study. I was fortunate and ended in the hall of my choice Commonwealth Hall. This dorm had earned itself the reputation of inculcating independence of thought and leadership among its students. It is difficult to determine if this reputation is well earRead More…

Physician burnout by Dr. Dzifa Dey

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This article is dedicated to the memory of Prof. Bongani Mayosi, a world renowned South African cardiologist who died by suicide from depression this week.
As I sat in front of the couple trying to be stoic and listen to and diagnose their model teenage child with lupus, at this point I regret being a doctor, the one who had to bear this sad news.
I wish I were not the one sentencing the child to a lifetime of anxiety with a complicated illness. I looked at the couple who knew all too well what Read More…

A Masseuse for a Boob Job

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When I look at what is happening around me these days in America, I get deja vu feelings about my childhood. Sometimes it causes me extreme tummy upset and nausea and here is why! My mom and I lived in a compound house in a low middle-class neighborhood called Adabraka in Accra, Ghana! A compound house is where all the families have their individual rooms but share the same toilet and bathroom facilities! There was poverty all around us but my mother ensured I had the best of everything mostly fRead More…

Black is beautiful, or is it? By Dr. Leonard Sowah

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As the summer enters its full force and many plan their vacations to the beach and other sunny places, I remembered that not all of us are going to be enjoying the sun equally. There are a few who would avoid the sun like the plague, and this is not from fear of skin cancer. These individuals are worried of the tanning effect of the sun and the resulting darkening of their complexion. Summer life is never easy for those who aspire for the “beauty and allure” of the lily white skin.
Across the woRead More…

Open Letter to Fox 45 News Baltimore by Chris Roberson, NP

holisticphysician

Happy Tuesday FB friends and family. I am a sole believer for educating and promoting awareness in Baltimore and beyond about HIV Prevention but I have several issues with this article that was featured on Fox’s webpage written by Marilynn Marchion, AP Chief Medical Writer and also Fox news reporter Patrice Sanders reported this topic this morning, titled “AIDS drugs show more promise for preventing more infections” PrEP is not for AIDS prevention, it’s HIV Prevention and it’s not only for gRead More…

Love, Sex and Life with HIV

holisticphysician

She was a model patient in many ways, never missed any appointments, and had done very well health wise. Yes, she had gained a few generous pounds over the years that I had known her but in other ways she was the picture of health. As is always the case when I have patients like her with most medical issues addressed and stable, regular follow visits tended to take a less formal tone and I would make efforts to delve into non health quality of life issues. On one such visit she mentioned her dauRead More…

Thinking Outside The Box When There is No Box

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I have been very lucky when it come to religious education. I grew up in the Anglican Church; actually my elementary education was in a school affiliated with the Church. In those days we would all march to the church on Ash Wednesday to get the grey black crosses on our foreheads after school assembly. I thought that was really cool and would proudly keep my ash cross till I went to bed.  I later became an altar boy because I loved the purple red robe and the pious look on the altar boys facesRead More…

The Holy Trinity, American Democracy, Zero Tolerance Nonsense and Hell goers!!

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I lived with my single mother for the first 10 years of my life. At age ten I was distraught when my mother suggested I had to go live with my father because I needed a father figure to look up to! To ease my stay with my dad I had to spend some vacation days with him, but when the final move day arrived, I cried like a baby! My mother cried as well and I could tell she had doubts on this decision! So I can’t even imagine what the the kids affected by the callous Trump administration Family SeRead More…

Homo sapiens blackus a new human species. How must we handle this new species?

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It has become abundantly clear to me that black people in America belong to a different subspecies of Homo sapiens! I have grouped them into a subspecies Homo sapiens blackus, and in my case Sub Subspecies Homo sapiens blackus shitus!
How else can anyone explain the spate of calls that are made to cops about blacks for mundane things that all humans undertake in order to exist on this planet! In a previous expose’ I had talked about things that Americans should call the cops on when they see âRead More…

The Bible and Sexuality in Ghana, how does one address the controversies?

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A part of the New Testament, John 8:7 actually suggests …..“He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone at her.  This was after an adulterer was accused and brought to Jesus. In 1 Cor 4:5. Luke 6:37, Matthew 7:1 and James 4:11, Romans 2:1, 14:10, 14:13 Christians are advised and instructed NOT TO JUDGE others for it is God who Judges us all. Where am I going with this? WELL….. I am not Gay and I will never be. I know quite some great men who are and they have nevRead More…

General Robert E Lee, did he shape American history or has this country shaped his legacy?

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In the past few years there have been many protests and struggles across this country surrounding the fate of several monuments depicting confederate leaders.  One such protest which occurred in the Summer of 2017 was the Unite the Right Protest in Charlottesville, VA. Unfortunately this protest cost 3 lives including that of 32 year old Heather Heyer. One of the organizers of the march Jason Kessler; was quoted to have tweeted a week after the rally that Heyer “was a fat, disgusting CommunisRead More…

Can a person be prejudiced against their own racial group?

holisticphysician

Living in the  great multi-cultural society, which is today’s America is an opportunity that I have grown to love and cherish. I love the fact that when I step out on the streets I could be interacting with individuals whose gene pool could easily span the whole global realm known to man. This in itself is a wonderful feeling that makes my American identity very real to me whilst at the same time cherishing my Ghanaian roots. Whilst most of my experiences in America have been mostly positive inRead More…

Oh no!! another wet dream ?

holisticphysician

I rarely have dreams! And on the rare occasions that I have dreamt, I barely remember the contents of my dream! I guess I am not prone to hypnopompic and hypnagogic hallucinations! If I were the Martin Luther King of the 1960’s, my speech would be titled â€I don’t have a dream.†And it would go like this †I don’t have a dream that one day a man shall be judged by the content of his character rather than by the color of his skin. I don’t have a dream I don’t dream I can’t remember my dreaRead More…

Why the oppressed need to keep silent so passive supporters of oppression do not feel uncomfortable.

holisticphysician

Whilst boarding school in Ghana for me was mostly fun that was not all that I experienced in Mfantsipim School, one of the oldest schools in Ghana. My first 3 years in boarding school as a junior boy was fraught with many experiences that could well give Tom Brown’s School Days a run for its money. I still remember experiences that border on the verge of exploitation and  abuse. One lesson that I learnt dealing with bullies and other types of abusers in boarding school was that perpetrators andRead More…