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Despite all he passed through, he’s a champion today -Prof Abudu
Your colleague Dr. Joshua Hanny is physically challenged, how does he function in the hospital?
Dr Joshua Hanny is a consultant histopathologist. We are colleagues in the same department at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, (UUTH) Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. I’m not only his colleague, I was also his teacher. I taught him to be a professional like myself. Today, we are all consultant pathologists.
Yes, he sees patients if need be. He is trying his best because he has passion for the job despite his difficult situation. He tries to cope especially when it comes to autopsy; where his physical challenge disturbs him because of the settings in the laboratory to know the cause of death. Autopsy requires one dissecting a human body. But unfortunately, we do not have facilities that can lift him up to the level of the table. Sometimes, he struggles a lot, but despite that, he has been able to surpass some of those challenges.
If there is an electronic state-of-the-arts wheelchair for him, can he function better?
Yes, he will. But right now, he has to put extra effort just to accomplish the same task physically-fit doctors achieve within minutes. It is difficult for him because we do not have such facilities, especially elevators for challenged people like in foreign countries. If he has the modern electric wheelchair, the job will be less stressful. Meanwhile, in the other area of pathology which involves diagnosis in the laboratory, he is a champion. He does not have issues with those ones because the microscope he will use could be adjusted to where he sits.
How long can he see patients?
He will work like every other pathologist perfectly well if he is physically aided.
He said some lecturers really frustrated him during his medical studies, but you chose to be different. Why?
A proverb says if you see a child that is crawling towards you, you will carry the child. Despite all the challenges, he listened to advice and pulled through. Today, the rest is history.
I lack words to describe Dr Hanny’s feats as a physically-challenged man –Essien, consultant histopathologist
How long have you known Dr. Joshua Hanny?
We were medical students together in University of Calabar, though he was my senior. Actually, I do not know the exact circumstances surrounding the origin of his condition, but one can see that both his lower limbs are not functioning.
Notwithstanding, it is quite commendable for the courage Dr Joshua Hanny has shown over the years. I was there. I saw him crawl on campus. He used to crawl to climb staircases all the way to Amphitheatres for lectures when we were in New Science Laboratory Theatre (NSLT) for students in medical sciences. In University of Calabar library then, sometimes we climbed three-four floors, I do not know if there is an elevator now. Dr Hanny would crawl, climb up to these flours and climb down. I do not have a word to describe what he went through in medical school. Yes, while some lecturers were good to him, some despised, mocked and discouraged him. During medical examinations, it used to be hell for him because of the modalities and nature of the examinations. I simply know that the finger of God is upon him. Again, he is a committed Christian, an elder and pastor in the Assemblies of God Church. He is a man of uncommon courage because not all physically fit medical students made it to the end, but Dr. Joshua Hanny made it.
As colleagues now, how does he function?
Well, the current state of his wheelchair is bad. Some years ago, a commissioner in Akwa Ibom state graciously donated a motorized wheelchair which he has used for years, it needs a change presently. There are some meetings he cannot attend because his wheelchair is bad. In the current laboratory complex where we have moved in, when we climb the stairs, we physically-fit doctors do not find it easy, not to talk of someone who will crawl to the third floor. For the fact that there are no elevators in the hospital, wherever he needs to go to, the moment he wheels himself to the ground floor, he will disembark and crawl the flight of staircases to where he is going to even as a consultant histopathologist, and repeat the same ritual while coming down. You can imagine what this has done to his psychology and dignity as a man for decades.
How did he pull through his residency programme?
Dr. Hanny finished his residency programme same way he graduated from medical school. Such feat is not for the faint-hearted. At a point, he was mocked for trying to become a consultant. Someone said to him ‘God has carried you to graduate from medical school; you are not satisfied, now you want to go for residency.”
Personally, I do not know of any medical doctor in Nigeria that has his type of challenge, yet went through primary, secondary, tough medical school, housemanship, residency training in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife and became a consultant. He is very intelligent, owns a car and drives it, healthy, married with children, very good spirited man, a complete package and lives in his own house. Dr. Joshua Hanny is an over achiever. I lack words that will qualify his feat as a physically challenged man because he is an epitome and physical manifestation of God’s miracle. Only God knows why he is physically-challenged.
