Medical

The health of most Ghanaians and the medical care extended to them is distinctly inferior to that of developed countries. Many villages will have their own small clinic and towns their hospitals. But these are usually understaffed with especially the lack of adequately qualified staff being a problem (partly as a result of the very sizeable brain drain out of the country). Moreover, due to financial constraints and lack of education, the majority of Ghanaians will just seek medical help when they feel it to be absolutely necessary. This means that the help sometimes comes too late. To top it all, once a doctor has prescribed a treatment, patients will not always buy the prescribed drugs, glasses etc. for lack of money.
Two particularly severe health problems afflict the country (and the continent as a whole). The first one is HIV/AIDS. Despite vigorous campaigning by the government and other focus groups the estimated number of adults living with HIV/AIDS is between 1.9% and 5% (WHO and UNAIDS estimate for 2003). The second one is malaria, with a staggering 2.8 million of clinical malaria cases reported and more than 3500 malaria deaths reported in 2002 (Ministry of Health and National Malaria Control Programme).

Assin Rural Clinic

Description
This small clinic has a few treatment and consultation rooms, a maternity ward and two observation rooms with about ten beds in all where they keep patients under observation for 24-48 hours. Moreover, there are two rooms where patients can sleep for longer periods, especially those afflicted with severe diarrhoea. There is also a small pharmacy attached to the clinic. On top of that a youth centre was built with the help of foreign donors in the summer of 2004. In it there are two treatment rooms and a hall with games and a TV. Young people between 12 and 20 get treatment here so that they won’t have to intermingle with the adults during treatment. As you can read the facilities in themself aren’t too bad for a rural community clinic, but the clinic is staffed by just four nurses and one medical assistant. So any additional manpower would be more than welcome. On an average day about 20 people come here for treatment and on the market days of Tuesday and Friday, that number doubles to 40. The clinic offers a 24 hour-service. The consultation and treatment of minor illnesses and reproductive health takes place between 3 and 7 PM. There have not yet been previous foreign volunteers here.

Time of year
Anytime

Place
Assin North District, Central Region. It is very close to the Assin North SSS (another project of ours), so it would be possible to interact with volunteers or National Service Personnel placed there, if the volunteer so wishes.

Rural/urban
Rural

Max. number of volunteers
1

Volunteer job description
Depending on the knowledge and experience of the volunteer, the volunteer will do consultations, prescribe treatment and help to look after the patients. The services provided by the clinic are: minor medical and surgical treatment, pregnancy testing, antenatal care, deliveries, post natal care, child welfare and family planning. Because of the weak staffing of the clinic, a volunteer with a more advanced medical knowledge will fast occupy a prominent position in the clinic.

Requirements for volunteers
The volunteer should be either a medical student or have qualified as a doctor. Nurses or student nurses are equally welcome. To find your way and make yourself useful at this project site, you will need solid prior practical experience which we will verify in your interview.

Accommodation description
In the guest house of the clinic volunteers will have their own largish, furnished room with their own toilet and bathroom. There is electricity in Praso, and in case of blackouts, the clinic has a generator. There is however no running water, so showers will be with buckets.

Accommodation cost
50 EUR a month

Meals
If the volunteer wishes, the clinic will provide 3 meals a day for 4 EUR a day.

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