For my STEP Signature Project, I interned at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital in Ghana for a month where I participated in four different rotations: pediatrics, outpatient delivery, public health family planning, and internal medicine. I was also able to learn about several aspects of public health and medicine such as healthcare and infectious diseases. Furthermore, I also was able to immerse myself in the Ghanaian culture and lifestyle to learn more about the rich history of the country. I also made a blog to highlight the activities I did each day.
My assumptions and understanding of access and quality of health care transformed during my four weeks in Cape Coast and Accra. This was my maiden trip to Ghana and the continent of Africa so that alone was a big step out of my comfort zone. I went into this trip thinking that people didn’t have access and quality health care due to the high mortality rates and low life expectancy. While these statistics are still prevalent in the country, my view of their health care system changed through my work in the hospital. I was able to participate in child mortality meetings during my first rotation in the pediatric ward. It’s very great to see that Ghana is addressing a major issue which is crucial for change in the future. In addition, the teaching hospital effectively tackles the issue of access to health care. Ghana is definitely striving towards universal health care and although they haven’t quite reached that point, they’re going in the right direction. Health care in Ghana is extremely affordable to many citizens. Plus, many of them are very happy with the health care system. Overall, this trip changed my perspectives and assumptions in regards to Ghana’s health care.
During the first week, I worked in the pediatric ward where I was responsible for documenting notes and vitals. As mentioned earlier, I also attended child mortality meetings with medical students and residents to discuss different cases and how better health care can be administered to reduce the mortality rate. I have never been a part of a mortality meeting so just being in the environment itself was transformational for me. Also, it was very interesting to see how doctors and nurses document vitals and patient review notes. I went in expecting that they still use books and papers to document patient history. While this is true to some extent, many of the doctors and nurses have gone digital. During nurse rounds, many of the nurses would log vitals on a sheet of paper before charting it on the computer. The nurses also kept track of medications on a sheet of paper in addition to the online portal. This rotation transformed me because I was able to learn more about different diseases that are considered very rare in the U.S such as malaria.
During the second week, I shadowed two doctors in the pediatric outpatient department. I was able to do many things such as taking a patient history and performing small examinations on patients. I was also able to auscultate patients under direct supervision. The outpatient delivery rotation was a very humbling and transformational experience. One day during this week, I traveled forty five minutes north of Cape Coast to the village of Jukwa with some other staff members of the hospital who represented different departments such as ENT, nutrition, optometry, etc. This was a very nice way to bring health care and the services of the teaching hospital to those who either can’t afford it or who can’t access the hospital due to geographic barriers. The quality of health care was also present as many of the departments offered proper treatment and counseling. I certainly wish I could’ve been a part of more outreaches like this but I’m happy I was able to get the experience while volunteering and serving the community. This week was transformational for me both in and out of the hospital environment.
In week 3, I was working in the public health family planning department. In this clinic, family members can discuss about how many kids they plan to have and at what frequency. They offer many contraceptives and other birth control options for women who decide to not become pregnant. They also did a great job informing parents on vaccinations for their child as well as how to properly take care of them. For example, according to one of my cohort members, the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG) provides free mosquito nets as malaria is a big epidemic in the country. A big part of health care and public health is primary prevention of diseases and learning more about the services offered in this clinics transformed me. Also, during the third week, I took part in a radio show with three other staff members of the hospital. On July 28th, World Hepatitis Day was observed and a few days before this date, I participated in this show to raise awareness and educate the central region of Ghana about hepatitis and the importance of being vaccinated, screened, and treated if diagnosed. This experience was definitely not obtainable for me back in the U.S. so I was very honored and privileged to be a part of this show.
During the final week, I rotated in the male and female medical wards. I joined a firm team that consisted of medical students and residents and did rounds with them every morning for the last week. After rounds, I shadowed a resident from the firm and followed him around as he did patient reviews and physical examinations. In Ghana, I was also able to witness a different scope of diseases including TB, HIV, cholera, and more. The experience in the medical wards was transformational for me because I was able to compare and contrast chronic cases such as diabetes and hypertension between the teaching hospital and the primary care doctors that I’ve shadowed in Ohio. During each week, we had a nurse who would give a lecture about different aspects of Ghana’s health and he mentioned to us that many citizens are very content with the health care they’re receiving. During this rotation, I also learned about how culture has a big influence in healthcare delivery. For example, some tribes are not allowed to accept oral medications. Many of the nurses and doctors said that this will continue to be a hurdle in the future.
This internship was significant to me because it has great application to my major environmental public health. Many diseases like cholera occur due to environmental factors such as water and food contamination. In the classroom, I’ve learned more about how environmental issues are becoming more prevalent in health so to see this issues firsthand was extremely transformational to me. In public health, we also talk a lot about prevention and intervention and events such as the outreach in Jukwa and the hepatitis radio talk are great examples of ways we can reach the target population. This trip also relates to my professional goals as I hope to go to medical school in the future and being able to intern in the hospital enabled me to learn many different things about healthcare in a new country. I have always had a desire to help others and this trip allowed me to do that so I am beyond grateful for this opportunity.
Link to my blog: https://newsghana.travel.blog
