My trip to Takoradi Ghana
Holly Cooper (Medicine)

For my medical elective I chose to go to Ghana as I’d always wanted to go to Africa, and as a female going by myself I wanted to go somewhere friendly and safe. The Work the World package was ideal for me, as all aspects of the placement were organised for me, and I made lots of new friends in the Work the World house.

Arriving in Ghana was quite an experience but Prince was ready and waiting at the other end, as promised, ready to sweep me up in a big hug and look after me! My flight was quite late, so I was taken to a hotel in Accra for the night, and the next day Prince and I made the journey to Takoradi. Takoradi itself feels like ‘real Ghana’ – it’s a lot less Western than the bigger cities of Accra and Kumasi, and the people are incredibly warm and friendly to the visiting ‘obruni’ (white man!). The Work the World team gave me my orientation on the first day there, taking me to the bank to change money and generally showing me around the city centre. It didn’t take long for the Work The World house to feel like home, especially with the caterer Ophelia looking after us all – not only was she an incredible cook, but she was also very kind and caring, going out of her way to make sure we all had everything we needed.

I worked at the main hospital in Takoradi, Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital, for 8 weeks, working in Medical, Surgical and A&E. I think it was good to work in several different areas as it really gave me a feel for how the hospital is run and the differences between the specialties. In Ghana you will see a lot of patients with malaria, typhoid and TB, which can be quite rare in the UK, and patients with very advanced disease and clinical signs that you’d never get to see back home. As a final year student I was given quite a lot of responsibility when I requested it, particularly on the surgical wards where they basically let me be the house officer, doing bloods and writing notes and seeing my own patients in the clinics. In A&E I did a night shift with two of my friends, and as a team of almost-doctor and nurses it worked really well. We were even left in charge of the department for a few hours while the night doctor went home to get some sleep, which was a real experience and one I’ll never forget! Some days were tougher than others in the hospital as sometimes the Ghanaian healthcare system could be frustrating, but it was really nice knowing that after a bad day I had a group of friends waiting in the house to talk through it all. The Work the World team out in Ghana were also incredibly supportive, and made themselves available for any problems we encountered.

I was really lucky with the friends I made out in Ghana as everyone was really up for going travelling and exploring the country at the weekends. We went to some truly beautiful places, such as the beach resort of Butre to the west of Takoradi, and Lake Bosumtwi near the city of Kumasi. We also took a couple of days off placement and went for a longer trip, spending four days travelling to and from the Volta region where we climbed Mount Afadjato, Ghana’s highest mountain!

I couldn’t have had a better time on my elective and I would recommend Work the World to anyone wanting to do a healthcare placement in Africa. It was so helpful having everything organised for me especially as my elective came straight after my finals, and Work the World even provided a country information pack with all the information I could possibly need on getting a visa, how to take my money, essential kit list, etc. They were also at the other end of the phone for any last-minute questions or queries. As a female going on elective alone, this was the perfect way to do it, and I highly recommend going as an individual – it’s a lot easier to make friends when you don’t come as a group!