Injury accounts for three of the top five causes of death in
Low– and Middle– Income Countries and is growing as a worldwide cause of
morbidity and mortality. The WHO predicts that Road Traffic Injuries will be
the 2nd leading cause of years of life lost for the world’s population by 2020.
Ghana, a stable, democratic country in West Africa has long recognized the need
to improve emergency care, where previous research has demonstrated that half
of all fatally injured patients admitted to a Ghanaian hospital die within 24
hours of admittance.
Several national events highlighted this increased need for emergency care, including a 1997 nationwide conference to address road traffic injuries and the 2001 collapse of the Accra Soccer Stadium that resulted in 127 deaths. The public response to this disaster prompted the Ghanaian government to construct a new national Accident and Emergency Center. The Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons subsequently approached the University of Michigan Department of Emergency Medicine to collaborate on the development of a postgraduate training program. Building on previously successful collaborations in UM Ob-Gyn and with the School of Public Health, the Ghana Emergency Medicine Collaborative training program was formed to improve the provision of emergency care.
Progress to date has included the implementation of an accredited three-year residency program at the Accident and Emergency Center at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), re-organization of the clinical space towards a functional emergency department, training of core providers in trauma management and implementation of new care processes, including the South African Triage System. In November 2010, the Ghana EM Collaborative received pilot funding to continue the residency program and expand the program to include emergency nurse training and medical student training.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Ghana Emergency Medicine Collaborative is to improve the provision of emergency medical care in Ghana through innovative and sustainable physician, nurse and medical student training programs that increase the number of qualified emergency health care workers and retain them in Ghana.
The Ghana Emergency Medicine Collaborative is funded, by the Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through the Fogarty International Center (FIC) with additional support from the University of Michigan Department of Emergency Medicine.
Personnel Needed
Qualified, board-certified physicians and nurses with specialization in emergency medicine or critical care for rotations at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, Ghana. Physicians are asked to rotate for at least 3-4 weeks, and longer term opportunities may be available. 2-4 week rotations are available for nurses as part of the diploma training program.
Volunteer personnel will conduct bedside teaching at KATH as well as didactic education of residents, house officers, medical officers, medical students, and nurses.
Personnel will be responsible for round-trip airfare to Accra, visa and immunization expenses, temporary licensing fees ($50 for nurses, $400 for physicians), and daily dinner meals. KATH staff will submit licensing documents and fees for regulatory approval, transport volunteers from Accra to Kumasi, and make housing arrangements. Free housing, daily breakfast, and an orientation session will be provided.
Personal and professional reference checks will be performed for all candidates. Flexibility, adaptability, and creative problem solving are all essential in this environment. Volunteers will be living and working directly with KATH staff and volunteer from other US academic institutions.
Ghana EM Collaborative Partners
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)
Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH)
Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons (GCPS)
Ghana Ministry of Health (MOH)
Ghana Ambulance Service (GAS)
University of Michigan
Department of Emergency Medicine
School of Medicine
School of Nursing
University of Utah
Project HOPE
To volunteer, please click on the "Apply Now" button at the top of this page. Background, personal and professional reference checks will be performed for all candidates. Candidates are responsible for obtaining a visa. This activity will be challenging physically and emotionally. A passion for medicine and helping people is a requirement. Flexibility toward accommodating change, adaptability, creativity, and a good attitude is also needed. Volunteers will be living and working directly with the KATH staff and other US academic institution volunteers – there may or may not be other HOPE volunteers at the hospital at the same time, so an independent and adventuresome spirit is a must.
0 comments:
Post a Comment