The mortal remains of Sir Kt. Bro. (Brig.-Gen.) Dr. Joseph Kenneth Bandoh (rtd.), a past supreme physician of the Noble Order of the Knights of Marshall was on Saturday, February 21, 2015 laid to rest at the Catholic Cemetery at Asante Bekwai.
The interment was preceded by a burial mass held at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church at Asante Bekwai.
The Mass was concelebrated by three priests namely Very Rev. Fr. Edward Owusu-Ansah, Rev. Fr. Louis Akuoko Sarpong and Rev. Fr. Paul Davor. The Very Rev. Fr. Edward Owusu-Ansah presided at the Mass which was attended by 70 marshallans, 45 of whom came from Accra and scores of people from Bekwai and its environs.
Sir Kt. Bro. Bandoh transited to the Noble Order above peacefully at his Airport Residence in Accra on Saturday, December 13, 2014 at the age of 84 years.
Prior to the body being moved from Accra to Bekwai for interment, a burial mass was held at the Christ the King Catholic Church, Cantonments in Accra, where the deceased worshipped.
The pre-burial Mass was concelebrated by three priests namely Very Rev. Andrew Campbell, Very Rev. Quaye and Sir Kt. Bro. Very Rev. Monsignor Hillary Senoo. In attendance was people from all walks of life including hundreds of marshallans largely from Council No. 10/Court No. 5 (Accra).
Leading members of the Noble Order present were Sir Kt. Bro. Joseph Ekow Paintsil, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Marshall and Sir Kt. Bro. Cdr. Owusu Prempeh, a Past Supreme Knight and several past supreme knights and past grand ladies.
Among the dignitaries present were: Major General Opoku-Adusei, Chief of Army Staff; Brig. Gen. Alhassan, Director-General of Armed Forces Medical Services; Brig-General M. Waja, Support Services Brigade Commander; Col. Awuku, Delegation Commander, Officer-in-Charge of Orthopedic and Trauma Unit of the 37 Military Hospital; Brig.-Gen. Nunoo-Mensah (rtd), one-time National Security Adviser; Hon. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Flagbearer of the NPP in the 2012 Elections; Hon. Dr. Addo Kufuor, one-time Minister of Defence.
Delivering the Homily, Very Rev. Andrew Campbell who is also the parish priest of Christ the King Catholic Church urged those present to make self-examination and ask where they would go after death. He stressed that at death God would ask each individual only one question. Where you Faithful to Me? He quoted several verses from the Bible and emphasied that only those with clean hands and clean hearts would see God. He pointed out that the aim of every individual should be to see God after death.
At the Mass the Grand Knight of Council No. 10 (Accra), Bro. Ebenezer Selom Dziekpor, read a tribute to Sir Kt. Bro. Bandoh. Other tributes came from the West African College of Physicians, Retired Military Nursing Officers Association (REMNOA), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the Children.
Biography
The biography of Sir Kt. Bro. (Brig-Gen.) Dr. Joseph Kenneth Bandoh (rtd.) as presented in the funeral brochure read in part:
Sir Kt. Bro. (Brig-Gen.) Dr. Joseph Kenneth Bandoh (rtd.) was born in Ashanti Bekwai in the Ashanti Region of Ghana to the late Opanyin BaafourKwakuBandoh, alias Chief Kwaku Bandoh of Amponya, and the late Obaapanyin Akosua Anane on September 24, 1930. He was the second child and eldest son of his parents. In September 1937, he started his elementary school education at the St. John’s Catholic School in Bekwai. On completion he was admitted to St. Augustine’s College, Cape Coast, in 1947.
Two years into the course his principal, Rev. Fr. Murphy, moved him to the secondary school section. It came as no surprise that in 1950 he obtained a first class school certificate qualification at the Cambridge School Leaving Examination which exempted him from taking the London Matriculation.
In October 1951, he gained admission to the London University College of Gold Coast with a Colonial Development Welfare Scholar Scholarship to study Biology and Botany. He passed both London University’s Intermediate BSc and full BSc General Science (London) qualification with ease. Based on his performance he acquired yet another full scholarship this time from the Gold Coast Government to read medicine at the Kings College Medical School in London. One September 9, 1954 he left the shores of Accra, Ghana to pursue his medical training at the Kings College Medical School in Strand, London. Following a distinguished student career, he obtained the Conjoint Diploma of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1959 and Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgeons degree in 1960.
On qualifying as a doctor he was asked to return home as was required by the Ghana government policy for oversees trained doctors but he stayed behind briefly to gain further experience. He was fortunate to acquire a house job (junior doctor placement) at his teaching Hospital; a rare achievement for Africa doctors studying in the United Kingdom at the time. His mentor and consultant the Dean of the Medical School, Sir Richard Bayliss encouraged him to pursue his specialization. Within two years of graduation he obtained the postgraduate degree of the Royal College of Physicians in 1960 to become a Physician Specialist and member of the Royal College of Physicians (MRCP). He always reminisced with pride how delighted the Dean was when he passed his membership examinations commenting “Ken, I knew you wouldn’t let me down”. Sir Prichard Bayliss in the 1970s was the personal physician of the present queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Queen Elizabeth II.
After obtaining the MRCP, Dr. Bandoh went on to undertake further studies at the London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene where he passed and received the Diploma of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
On completion of his training in the United Kingdom, her return to Ghana as a Physician Consultant in April 1963. His first posting was to the Komfo Anokye Hospital in Kumasi and later the same years were transferred to the Korle-Bu Hospital in Accra. Whilst working at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital he met his wife Dr. Evelyn Van der Puijie and they married in September, 1964. Sadly she passed away in November, 1990.
At the Korle Bu Hospital Dr. Bandoh faced challenges and untold frustrations from his superiors. In 1996 he was posted briefly to the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital, Mampong, as a physician specialist. Whilst working at the Tetteh Quarshie Hospital the opportunity to work in the Armed Forces came up. After a three month training course at the Military Academy he was appointed Senior Physician Specialist at the Military Hospital in January 1967. This position exposed him extensively to the world of hypertension where he traveled oversees for numerous conferences and seminars. He rose through the rank of Senior Physician in charge of the Medical Division to become Commanding Officer of the Military Hospital from May 17, 1970 to November 7, 1972.
After a short voluntary break in service he was recalled to the position of Director of the Armed Forces Medical Services in the rank of Colonel in 1972, and promoted to Brigadier General (One Star General) in 1977, a position he held until his retirement from the Armed Forces in 1979. He was at post from August 1, 1974 to June 12, 1979. He was the first doctor to attain the position of Brigadier General in the Armed Forces. Whilst serving in the army he attained the position of Follow of the Royal College of Physicians (FRCP) of London in 1975. He inspired many doctors and because of his dedication, professional leadership and hard work he was honored by the Armed Forces when a ward at the 37 Military Hospital was named after him, that is the Bandoh Ward.
Private Practice
On leaving the Ghana Armed Forces in 1979 he went into private practice. He was the specialist Physician Consultant of the Bandoh Medical Centre. His clinic was first based at the premises of Kufour Medical Laboratories at Switchback Road and later relocated to the Airport Residential Area.
Other Positions
Dr. Bandoh held other positions as a founding member of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA). In 1972 he was elected Chairman of the Komfo Anokye Hospital Rehabilitation Committee where he spearheaded the work that resulted in the creation of the Hospital as a teaching hospital of the School of Medical Sciences of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi. At the Medical and Dental Council of Ghana he was second Council Member from 1979 to 1984. He also attained the position of Fellow of the West Africa College of Physicians (WACP). From 1993 to 1994 he was president of the WACP (the second Ghanaian to have held that position). He was also a member of the Board of Trustees of the College until he was called to rest.
He was also the first Chairman of the Court of Examiners of the Medical and Dental Council from 1995 to 2005.
Patients
In his illustrious career he served his country, Ghana, in very sensitive and diverse areas including attending to Presidents, Head of States and Royalty. He was personal physician to the members of the National Liberation Council and later to his Excellency Edward Akufo–Addo, President of the Second Republic and General I. K. Acheampong, (Head of State of Ghana from 1972 to 1978). He was personal physician to Sir Nana Tsibu Darko, Omanhene of Assin Attandansu, Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu Agyeman Prempeh II, Otumfuo Opoku Ware II (14th and 15th kings of the Ashanti people) and the present Queen Mother, Asantehene of Ashanti (Nana Afua Kobi Serwah Ampem).
Religion
Dr. Bandoh was a dedicated Catholic and was a devoted member of the Knights of Marshall, a friendly Catholic Society. He was initiated into the Noble Order of the Knight of Marshalls at Council 10 on the September 29, 1973 together with 18 others.
He successfully undertook the Lower Degree and Mystic Psychology courses of study in the Noble Order. He was in 1987 elevated to the rank of Honorary Past Grand Knight and later elevated to Honorary Past Grand Advisor of the Knights of Marshall.
Sir Kt. Bro. Bandoh selflessly availed himself and provided the needed assistant whenever a brother fell sick. It is no wonder therefore that the Supreme Council identified his special talent and appointed him as Supreme Physician. In the year 2000, he was elevated to the enviable position of Honorary Past Supreme Knight, a rank he held until his call to his maker. Sir Kt. Bandoh was a true Knight who showed concern for the spiritual and physical health needs of all brothers and sisters.
Family
He took great pride in seeing to the welfare of his immediate and extended family. His bomb was open to his relatives. As an Abusuapanyin (Elder) he regularly met his family members to deliberate on family issues. He is survived by six children, three men and three women and eight grandchildren.
Pictures and Write-Up by Bro. Kojo T. Vieta, PGA/RADV