Working in the health sector in the developing world is
a real challenge. Observe experts in your field and learn how they work in
GHANA. The experience you gain
will be invaluable to you in the future and totally different to what
you're used to in your home country.
For social, cultural, but mainly economic reasons, people
don’t seek medical attention until their condition is incredibly advanced or
they are serious pain. Coupled with poor health and sanitary provisions,
medics in these countries are faced with conditions that we don’t see in the
West.
We have a variety of Medical placements available in Ghana. You could work in a hospital, clinic or teaching hospital, in any one of a number of departments. If your interest is nursing, we have a number of institutions who would appreciate your help.
ABOUT THE HOLY TRINITY MEDICAL CENTRE
AND ITS FACILITIES
One of the
institutions we work with is the Holy Trinity Medical Centre. This Centre
is fairly new, having been established in 1988, and has undergone various
reconstructing processes to become a one-step affordable humane service
centre by constantly improving its service delivery.
Holy Trinity has
a team of 28 regular Doctors, including an Eye specialist, Skin
specialist, Physician specialist, Surgical specialist, ENT Specialist,
Dietician, Gynaecologist, Psychiatrist etc. This group practice minimizes
referral to the teaching hospital from the Clinic and facilitates regular
exchange of contemporary medical knowledge, practice and research.
The Holy Trinity
Clinic, like many medical facilities, is very busy and consultants see an
average of 350 to 500 patients per day, or between 9,800 to 14,000
patients per month.
The facilities
and equipment include:
ECG
Ultrasound Scan (popularly known as the 'Video')
X-ray unit with an experienced Radiographer
A well-equipped Dental clinic
An Optometrist Opticians clinic, which conducts can
also conduct eye tests and provide prescription lenses and frames.
Well-equipped Laboratory which includes SEAC CH 16
Chemistry Analyser, Nobiscan 3A Microtitre Plate Reader, etc., which
enables them to do Liver, Kidney, Blood Lipids and Hormonal assays,
which very laboratories in Ghana are able to do.
Pharmacy Department with 3 separate pharmacy outlets
in the Hospital.
Physiotherapy and Aromatherapy Massage Departments
"My first impression
of the hospital was shock - I was surprised by how nice it seemed,
I had been expecting something far more run-down. By the sound of it, this is quite
largely because it is a private clinic. The hospital itself is more of a
large doctors-surgery, just with a few specialists, a lab and an X-ray
machine."
You can work in a
variety of medical departments, where you can either assist or shadow the
staff members. The type of work you will be allocated will depend to an
extent on your own abilities and capabilities, which is understandable
given that you will be dealing with patient health and safety.
You will be
involved in the day-to-day running of hospitals and clinics, observing or
directly assisting the doctors and nurses. You can help out in simple but
practical ways, vastly increasing your own knowledge and understanding of
medical practice.
You will get a
good general feel of the Centre by working and/or observing in most
departments and you will be exposed to hands-on nursing work.
"After spending some
time with various specialists we have spent the final two weeks of the
placements with GPs again. Everyone has been willing to have us observe
and have been keen to explain to us. The ENT specialist also invited us to
Korle Bu (the Government Teaching Hospital) where we observed
consultations and sat with medical students as they practised their
clinical skills both in consultation rooms and the wards."
If you plan on
specialising in a particular field of medicine, we can arrange to place
you in a relevant department, to ensure that you receive maximum
experience in your chosen field. Some of the specialist areas are
described below.
Nursing: For example, if your interest is nursing, we have a number of
departments who would appreciate your help. This is an excellent
opportunity to gain valuable experience in your field in a different
culture where practices may differ considerably to what you're used to.
Optometry:
If you're planning on going into Optometry, the Holy Trinity has an
opticians department where they conduct eye tests. Here you'll be able to
observe and assist. The Optical section serves patients with prescribed
frame and lenses.
Dentistry: Like many developing countries Ghana has a problem with good dental
hygiene among people living in poverty. This leads to bad teeth and other
medical problems that result from tooth infections. The Holy Trinity has a
Dental Clinic where you can work alongside the dentist and nurses and
assist the dental team.
The Dental
Department is equipped with 2 modern Dental Chairs, Dental X-ray Units,
etc. It caters for all dental needs of their patients.
This is an
excellent opportunity to gain valuable experience in your field in a
different culture where practices may differ considerably from what you're
used to in your home country.
REQUIREMENTS
To do a medical
work placement, you will need to be:
either planning to study medicine or a
medical-related subject
currently studying medicine or related subject, or
working in a medical field
According to the hospitals and medical centres, you
"must have a passion, enthusiasm and dedication for medicine and caring
for people".
In other words, they don't wish to play host to 'curious
observers' - instead, they want you to gain maximum benefit from your time
with them.
"This
placement has been rewarding work experience fro me and it has made me
determined to get a qualification so that next time I can truly work,
rather than observe. For anybody wanting a career in medicine this is an
excellent opportunity and I would recommend it."
Kate Malia, gap-year student, Ghana Medical Project
ACCOMMODATION
AND LIVING
IN GHANA
Your accommodation will
vary depending on the type of placement you're doing and where you are
located. You may live in comfortable guest house accommodation, but you
will most likely live with a host family. This means that you get to eat,
sleep, work, socialise and generally live like a Ghanaian. Local family
stays enable you to fully experience the local culture from the inside.
Many of our volunteers remain friends with their host
families long after they leave Ghana and in some cases they return to
the country later especially to visit their family. Sometimes members of
their Ghanaian family have even gone to visit them in their home
country.
"My family -
Lizzie and Prince are lovely. The children are very sweet, and I feel
extremely lucky to have been placed with them. The house is of a Western
standard in most ways, and Lizzie's cooking is excellent. I feel a part of
their family already."
Food will be local cuisine - again this is
to enable you to fully experience living as local Ghanaians do.
When we arrange your placement, we will liaise
extensively with you regarding both the placement and your accommodation.
As always, our Local Manager will look after you well and will
always be on hand to help and offer advice.
Caroline on the left,
Susannah on the right
standing on the front verandah of their accommodation
with Caroline’s
host, Lizzie
You have the option to arrange your
own flights or we can assist you with your flight arrangements. If you would
like us to do this for you, we will liaise with you regarding available flights
and dates to suit you. All arrangements for your flight bookings/payments will
be fulfilled by Murray Rogers Travel Ltd., ATOL No. 6856. (Read more about Murray Rogers Travel Ltd.)
Where possible, we arrange for two or more people to travel on the
same flight and we will let you have the names and telephone numbers of other
volunteers on your flight, so that you can chat to each other or even meet up
before leaving for your placement.
Where possible, all flights we arrange for you have changeable return tickets because many of our
volunteers choose to extend their stay once they are in their destination
country.
Changeable return tickets enable you to do so, within the limits of your visa
and the level of your air ticket,
of course. If you choose to book your own flights, you should endeavour to get
a changeable ticket.
We can also arrange your flight
dates
to give you additional time at the end of your project for travelling around and sightseeing - this is a
fascinating and wondrous country!
VISAS:. In countries where visas are required, we'll send you all the necessary forms and
information and make the process very easy for you.
You'll fly into Accra where you'll be met by our Ghana Manager, or one of his staff. From the
airport you'll be taken to your work and your accommodation and introduced to your
hosts. You'd be well advised to prepare yourself
for an almost overwhelmingly friendly welcome!
.
+44 01903 502595
