MSA Spotlight of the week

SC: Richmond Amo, I hope I got the name right.

Richmond: Oh yeah. It’s rightly mentioned.

SC: Well, I don’t know whether there are any more names you would like to add, like a Kwaku or a Kwame or some middle name somewhere.

Richmond: There’s no other name. It’s just Richmond Amo. That’s all.

SC: Playing around with your name, I separate Richmond and get ‘rich’ and ‘mond’. Monde in French means world so probably “rich-world”. Does your name Richmond make you feel rich in any way?

Richmond: Well, a certain old man once told me that Richmond means a rich man and Richard means a ruler so perhaps like you said monde is world and with rich in addition, the rich man’s world.

SC: The man lives in a rich man’s world. I really believe I’m going to enjoy this interview and so will anyone who reads this. Richmond, you appear as a very matured person. Is it that you’re a precocious child like me, maybe you’re one of the nineteen year old fresh SHS graduates who look mature or probably you’ve spent a lifetime in the university before? Is there a story that has not yet been told?

 

 

Richmond: Oh yeah, I look quite young but compared to your generation I’m older. So I’m not just a fresh SHS graduate who has just come back to the school. I’ve already finished my first degree. I studied in this school, Herbal Medicine, which is housed under the faculty of Pharmacy and I graduated back in 2005. I’ve worked for about 5 years since that time, so when it comes to experience in educational, social, cooperate and institutional issues, I can say I have quite a handful but as we go on you would get to know.

SC: Wow! Do not be deceived. The man Richmond is a highly experienced man and we will be going into how far you’ve gone in life but before we do that, would you like to leak your age to us?

Richmond: Oh that one, I wouldn’t want to disclose my age but I’m past my mid-twenties.

SC: Accepted! I’m going to resist the urge to press. Thank you very much Richmond; let’s move on to your family background. Where are you from?

Richmond: I’m from Feyiase, just a few meters from campus; a bit after Atonsu-Esereso, around that area. It’s a very small town. My mom is a research scientist; she works with the Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG).

SC: So you’re from a very educated background?

Richmond: By the grace of God, yes. My dad too was an engineer but he passed away. Actually we have a very small family. It’s just me, the baby-first and the baby-last. I’m an only child plus my mum and my dad who is no more. So it’s just me and my mum now.

SC: But, how was it, being the first and the last born at the same time?

Richmond: I’d say it’s been quite good. I didn’t have to struggle so much in life. If I say otherwise, I’m not being fair to God. Being an only child and all, I kind of enjoyed all the privileges that a lot of children would have shared.

SC: Nice, nice. I doff off my hat to you as you doff off yours to your parents. It’s nice to hear you appreciate your parents for investing in your life.

SC: Then why don’t we backtrack down your life now. Before Richmond became the Richmond of the medical school, before we met you as Richmond Amo, who were you?

Richmond: It’s a multi-billion dollar question requiring a quite a lengthy answer but I’ll try to be brief as much as possible. Let me say that, before I came to the medical school I was actually working. I’ve been a part of so many things; I’ve gathered some experience on the national and international levels, cooperate, institutional and student levels too. So let’s take it from there, I’ve been a part of many committees that sets standards with respect to Herbal Medicine practice. For example, I was a member of the committee that worked at harmonizing various policies to regulate the practice of traditional medicine in the West African sub-region which was organized by the West African Health Organization. I was also a resource person at the 4^th global summit which was organized in relation to HIV/AIDS and traditional medicine. I happened to give two presentations at that summit. At the national level, I am currently a member of the national technical committee for standards for herbal drugs and the chairman of this committee happens to be our very own dear lecturer Mr. G.K Tuani who taught us both in our first semester in medical school.

SC: Wow! Mr. Tuani, organic chemistry. Interesting!

Richmond: I served on the same committee with the current Dean of Pharmacy, Prof. Fletcher and Prof. Oppong Boakye who used to be the director of the Center of Scientific Research into Plant Medicine where I have also had a bit of working experience. All I want to say is that we can also make it there. It’s not only for the PhD holders and the fat portfolio holders. I mean there were so many Drs and Profs and I was just Amo, Richmond but I was unfazed by these titles and what a great experience it has been.

SC: Just Amo, Richmond but you were there! Wonderful!

Richmond: I was part of the team that did the final review of the Health Legislative bills for legal drafting under the Ministry of Health as the president of GAMH(Ghana Association of Medical Herbalists).

SC: I can just imagine the amount of critical thinking you had to do in this committee.

Richmond: You bet! I’ve been in a lot of meetings, stakeholders meetings I should say with regards to the Ministry of Health aimed at the integration of Herbal medicine and mainstream orthodox medicine practice. That’s the main reason why I didn’t pursue an MPhil or a PhD somewhere but decided on medicine. I had the opportunity to study Medical Genetics at the University of Glasgow but it was right about the same time we came to school so I turned down the offer with the bridging of the gap between herbal medicine and mainstream orthodox medicine practice at the back of my mind. Also at the ministry, I worked for the Traditional Nursing Practice Council. In our final exam, I was privileged to be the overall best student by the grace of God and so the following year I was appointed assistant examiner to the chief examiner. And currently, I am the chief examiner.

SC: Chapeau! Bravo! Wow! These are no mean achievements. You’ve come really far. Let’s delve into your knowledge in herbal medicine at this point. What is herbal medicine?

Richmond: Herbal medicine is basically an art and science which deals with the use of plant-based medicines in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases. However, herbal medicines (with an ‘s’) talks about the drugs or concoctions, if you want to call it so, not the practice.

SC: So who has the right to practice herbal medicine?

Richmond: Well, herbal medicine has been in existence for ages and locally our grannies and grandfathers who received oral information from their parents practice it. But when you talk of the rational use of herbal medicine, we are talking of trained people using new diagnostic techniques to manage diseases. The idea here is the provision of other alternatives apart from orthodox medicine. And you will be shocked to hear that drugs like artesenuate, artemicillin, aspirin, digoxin are all from plants, herbal roots.

SC: So can we say herbal medicines are safe.

Richmond: You see if we talk about the proper herbal medicines .ie. the ones approved by the Food and Drugs Board, everything is done to ascertain its quality and efficacy. They are subjected to tests. Looking at the physiochemical parameters, phytochemical profiles, heavy metal profile...let me not talk too much, but a lot is done to bring out the best of drugs.

SC: Tell me, are there some countries which rely heavily on herbal medicines.

Richmond: I think the first that will come to mind is China, but let me tell you that in the USA, 25% of all drugs prescribed by doctors contain some form of plant-derived product. Talk of South Africa, UK which has the National Institute of Medical Herbalists, Germany, Sweden...the list goes on and on. All these nutritional supplements they talk about are herbal medicines and it adds money to their economy.

SC: You are really opening our eyes today. Mine are so wide they might even pop out. So do you think the Ghana Health Service has done enough to promote herbal medicine in the country?

Richmond: I believe they have. There’s the institutionalisation of herbal medicine now. We were the first in the West-African sub region to have started a degree programme in herbal medicine, we have the Centre for Scientific Research that conduct research into medicinal plants and we have the Traditional Medicine Directorate all making inputs into the system. They’ve done a lot.

SC: You didn’t point your left hand at your father’s house. Let’s move to more social issues now by using this quite sensitive question as a bridge. What do you think about the advancements in medical technologies and how it seems technology is running ahead of moral laws?

Richmond: It’s good for science to come up with technologies, but having knowledge which of course will bring you power is not the end for power without control is death. We should control it so we wouldn’t have a crash landing.

SC: Now we zoom into the social segment. What is your favourite female name?

Richmond: (laughs) Erm, I think I need some juice here.

Richmond: (After the juice arrives) My favourite female name is Emelda. But in saying this, please understand that there are no strings attached. I just love the name because it’s beautiful.

SC: You’ve severed all the connections, foolproofing it against further onslaught. Anyway, what’s your favourite brand of perfume?

Richmond: Well...I like D and G perfumes

SC: D and G? This man has good taste. What about your best colour?

Richmond: Sea blue

SC: Then I am sure then that on your birthday, I’m likely to see you in a sea blue shirt.

Richmond: Probably, and maybe with a tie inclusive.

SC: There’s a new trend of giving modern children purely African names, for example Nana Dufie Bonsra, fully African. Is that how you’ll name your children?

Richmond: You see I’m a Catholic and in naming, we always attach a saint’s name. I am, for instance Luke Richmond Amo bearing the name of St. Luke. So I will follow that line, at least one English name will do. Having said that, let me add that names have an impact on their bearers depending on their meanings so let’s name wisely.

SC: I think it will be right to commend you at this point for your great amiable character and beautiful relationship with us

youngsters.

Richmond: Thanks, thanks a lot.

SC: Richmond, tell me, do you have a nickname?

Richmond: I love giving nicknames so I have a number of them too. You know in class, some call me-Old dog, Mega Mind, Richie,

the Godfather and some even call me Crackles.

SC: For the special spotty spyglass segment we are talking about ties. Why wlll a man tie a piece of material around his neck

sometimes so hard that he even has  to hold his breath before he makes adjustments. Richmond, do you enjoy wearing ties?

Richmond: Well, I like putting on ties, but as you and I know, it depends on the occasion.

SC: There are some ties in vogue now, we call them slim ties which were actually outdoored by the Beatles of old. Do you prefer the slim tie to the ‘bola’ one.

Richmond: Well, it depends on the occasion but you see a lady once told me I look good in anything I wear, so any of them will do.

SC: The columnist, Ablah of showbiz in an article captioned, ‘A Tie, not a Bib’ adviced gentlemen to remember to wash their ties lest it becomes as dirty as the bibs of babies. When was the last time you washed your tie?

Richmond: We certainly don’t wear one tie all the time, so they don’t get so dirty to require washing, and washing them too much will not augur well for their delicate nature. I don’t actually remember the last time I washed my tie.

SC: Enough on ties. Relationships. Should we expect your wedding anytime soon?

Richmond: I never even said I have someone. But you know, I keep my private life from the public. So I’ll crave your indulgence to

leave it there.

SC: Nice evasive techniques. What are your criteria for Mrs. Right?

Richmond: I don’t really have criteria. The ideal is always created out of the real. Some have too many high standards and end up

disappointed seeing that they are in a real world, no one is perfect. For me, I am making friends with everyone and I hope that one

might turn out to be the right.

SC: Quite insightful. This has been a great interview. Thank you very much Richmond. Philip Pullman said “Once upon a time continues forever”. Day in and day out, babies are born and they begin their once upon a time. You’ve shared yours with us and O, what a great story it is. Young Medics, this is it. We will be coming for your story soon. Expect us.

By MSA SPOTLIGHT COMMITTEE