It was too late for a call...

It was a sunny Thursday afternoon. As it was our tradition as boys, we would converge at our college's mini stadium to play soccer until sunset. It was a way of promoting community and bonding among the international students and the indigenous populace. In the next few hours, we will experience a traumatizing and unforgettable experience for as long as we live.

The game was going well and there was a tie with nine goals for each side. We needed a winner for the evening and so the game would stretch beyond our normal time of 5:30 . It was already getting dark and we still hadn't got a winning side. Then, the opponent made a counterattack, and I stood akimo in front of the far end goal post, anticipating a closing goal. Honestly, everyone was worn out.

Just then, there was a brilliant clearance by our defender, and we were all impressed with his defense. He laid down, The opponent went for the throw, but he still laid there. "Doc! Please come and see..." Realizing that I was the only one who was involved in health studies on the pitch, I quickly rushed to see my playing mate. He was pale and lay on one side of his body. I quickly turned him and placed him in a comfortable position. This was in the second semester of my education and concepts such as CPR were still very new to me. I had read about it, but had no practical experience and definitely this was not the time to experiment with novel techniques in an emergency like this.

I checked his pulse and temperature. Things were not good. His eyes were already rolling. I called my lecturer and asked if she knew of any ambulance service that could quickly arrive for an emergency. I was advised to take him to our college's hospital. I mentioned his name a couple of times and he nodded. We quickly rushed him to the ward and the nurses on duty were signing out to leave. We begged them to attend to our friend, who, at this point, lay motionless.

They called the college ambulance to convey him and some other friends as quickly as possible to the community clinic. Some of us gathered and started praying for God's mercy for our dear friend. He was a good person. Everyone liked him. I met a friend and we prepared some soup to take to see him. We only got there to see the heart reading of our friend, who was medically diagnosed as brain-dead! The whole clinic was turned into mourning. The post-autopsy report revealed that he died of a cardiac arrest.

The thought of not being able to administer CPR at a time when it was most needed has continued to haunt me, and till today, that scene is still fresh in my mind. For the rest of the period of my studies, I vowed to study and know what I'm to learn by heart. I intended not just to learn to get excellent grades but to fully understand, especially the practical aspects of what I am studying. His corpse was later transported via cargo to Ghana for an internment.

Dear health officials, I believe all of us have at one time experienced what I just narrated. A little mistake here, a small error there and a precious life is gone. I pray the good Lord grants us the wisdom and grace we need as we daily get in contact with these precious people who come to us for various kinds of treatment.

P.S. If you know anyone who needs urgent medical or surgical treatment and is considering options in India, Regimen Healthcare is there for him or her. Please send me an email at [email protected] or call me on +233532767597 for further inquiries.

I am Dr. Joseph Ntiamoah (PT), your health pulse companion.