Mural pays homage to African nurses
Three nurses are featured in a mural celebrating the contribution of African women to UK healthcare services.
The artwork has been created on the grounds of Guy’s Hospital in London and depicts six women in total.
Among them is Kofoworola Abeni Pratt, who is known as the NHS’ first Black nurse.
Born in Nigeria in 1910, Ms Pratt trained as a nurse at the Nightingale school of nursing at St Thomas’ Hospital from 1946 to 1950.
She worked for the NHS for four years, the first qualified Black nurse to do so, and held positions at Evelina London Children’s Hospital and St Thomas’ Hospital.
Also featured is Dzagbele Matilda Asante, born in Ghana in 1927, who came to the UK in 1947 and trained to become a nurse at Central Middlesex Hospital, London while the NHS was being created.
She later also completed training in midwifery and health visiting.
South African nurse and midwife Blanche La Guma is also on the mural.
An activist against the Apartheid regime, Ms La Guma came to London and practised nursing and midwifery in the city after being exiled from her home country in 1966.
The nurses are portrayed alongside Ghanaian doctor Dr Matilda Clerk, who studied medicine in Edinburgh and London in the 1940s, and Dr Irene Elizabeth Beatrice Ighodaro from Sierra Leone, who became the first West African-born female doctor in the UK.
As well as the historical health professionals, the mural includes one present-day health worker – Metian Parsanka, who is currently working as an advanced clinical practitioner and occupational therapist in the emergency department at St Thomas’ Hospital.
Ms Parsanka, who was born in Kenya and came to the UK at the age of 14, said: “I am honoured to be included in such a vibrant display of African women in British healthcare, highlighting the great work delivered by a diverse multicultural workforce.
“I am surprised, privileged and happy to be able to represent my culture and profession amongst such accomplished women.”
Credit: Andy Keate
The mural is the third to be created as part of the Hidden History project, which is paying homage to pioneering African women in healthcare before and after the formation of the NHS.
It is a collaboration between artist Dr Michele Curtis, the Young Historians Project, the mayor of London’s Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm scheme and the NHS.
Dr Curtis described the subject as being “so dear to my heart” and added: “I’m excited to see this project continue to grow from strength to strength.”
Meanwhile, Kaitlene Koranteng, a project manager from the Young Historians Project, said: “The achievements of African women, both in present day and historically, are under-acknowledged.
“This mural is the result of research, listening and learning that history.
“I hope this mural will serve to teach others and allow people to stop, learn and dig deeper.”
The mural at Guy’s Hospital was developed in consultation with the trust’s multicultural staff network, explained Marie-France Kittler, deputy arts manager at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.
The other two murals are at Charing Cross Hospital in London and Royal United Hospital in Bath.
