Former President Jerry John Rawlings was at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) on Saturday to visit a boy who was hit by a vehicle at Offinso near Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, a few months ago.
The vehicle knocked down Peter Mensah – who was six years old at the time of the accident and is now seven – on his way home. It crushed his legs and both (legs) were amputated.
Mensah, who apart from the amputation, has had multiple surgeries including graft and plastic, has responded positively to treatment and was in high spirits when the former president visited the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) of the hospital to see his (Mensah’s) condition for himself.
Dr. John Adabie Appiah, Senior Specialist, Paediatric Critical Care and Head of the PICU, briefed former President Rawlings on the treatment Peter had received since he was admitted at the facility.
He has adapted very well to an automatic wheel chair and controls it without assistance.
Mr Rawlings said he was moved when he saw the ‘pitiful’ video of Peter being lifted into a taxi with his limbs hanging off his body and decided to visit him anytime he had the opportunity to travel to Kumasi.
The former president, who interacted with other patients at the ward, also congratulated the doctors and the nurses on the hard work in ensuring Peter’s recovery and called for support from well meaning people to cater for his huge medical bills. He promised to do what he could to solicit support for the treatment.
Mr. Rawlings also lauded Anita Sefa Boakye, whose huge financial contributions had paid for the boy’s numerous surgeries and treatments. Peter’s grandmother, Esther Darkoaa, who has cared for him since the accident and his mother, Alice Fosuaa, who incidentally was heavily pregnant when her son was knocked down and has since delivered, were at the hospital during the visit.
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