We had finally landed and reality had kicked
in that we were now actually in Ghana. In case we weren’t convinced, the heat
coming off the plane definitely reassured us! All things important we complete...passed
immigration and luggage in our hands, we were greatly welcomed by Prince, the Work
the World Programme Representative, at the arrivals area and so our adventure
in Ghana began...
Having stopped over night in Accra we then
headed off to Cape Coast under the greatly appreciated guidance of Prince. After
the two and half hour journey a great big welcome from house keeper Ophelia was
exactly what was needed! The Work the World house is extremely spacious with
stacks of fans, cupboards stocked with food and fridges full of drinking water.
It’s like your very own home from home. And having power-cuts in the middle of
showering is all part of the adventure isn’t it?!
Later that day, a fun packed orientation of
the town included insider tips on bargaining for taxi’s, along with a trip to
the bank, internet café and of course the ever faithful Castle Restaurant for
our first experience of Ghanaian food!!
The following day we were taken to our hospital,
introduced to the Director of the hospital and had a grand tour. Briefly, the
hospital has a 226 bed capacity including surgical, burns, intensive care and
general medicine wards. There is also a 24 hour A&E department. The
physiotherapy department is reasonably well-equipped: exercise bikes, a
treadmill, free-weights, electrotherapy machines and has several
consulting/treatment areas. But above all, the air conditioning machine is
their most treasured possession even in rainy season!!
Dr Aquah is the main physiotherapist and is
accompanied by another physio, Ben. Both are European trained and are hugely
experienced. Students and new ideas are always welcome, but honestly I found
myself taking a lot more home than I anticipated. The variety of cases is vast,
including stroke patients (old and new), weight loss regimes, arthritis, lower
back pain, scoliosis, paediatrics and burns. A typical working day involved
arriving at the hospital by 8:30am (a 20 minute walk, or a 15p shared taxi
ride!), attending to the out-patient patients and then setting off to the wards to
attend any referrals. The mornings were always far busier than the afternoons,
and most work was usually completed by 2pm.
An international placement will offer the
opportunity to work within different cultures and of course, however different
they are, they must be respected. Unlike a UK practice, there is no appointment
system in the hospital and so patients turn up if and when they wish to! This can make implementing treatment plans a
little difficult, but it is all part of the learning process. Because of this
the day to day caseload was hugely variable, but none the less very
interesting.
As the weeks went by we found ourselves with
our own caseload of patients, including both out-patients and ward patients. (One
tip for working on the ward: always
acknowledge the Sister upon entering, and always ask permission to read the
medical notes!). We even found ourselves getting requests from other patients
to treat them – hugely rewarding! Fitting into the team was made very easy for
us by Dr.Aquah, Ben and the Cubans (on a two year placement) who were great
fun!
Weekends in Ghana are built for adventure and
everybody in the house would team together and organise various outings with
the always faithful Bradt Guide – do not leave the UK bound for Ghana without
one!
Imagine... a 2.5 hour hike up a mountain, at some stages
on your hands and knees, sweat dripping from places you didn’t know sweat could
come from.... You’re probably thinking, nah that’s not for me, well that’s what
I thought when I literally “hit the wall” on the way up. But now imagine finally
reaching an ice cold, immense fresh waterfall...that is what it’s all about!!
(Wli Waterfalls).
Alternatively an interesting canoe journey,
interesting in the sense that you will have to dedicated a ‘water scooper’ to
scoop the water out of the canoe, will get you to the heart of one of the most fascinating
communities ever - the stilt village in Beyin, and a village on stilts is exactly
what is it. It’s a very bizarre concept and the only thing I can say is that
you have to see it to believe it!
Other weekend adventures included Kakum
National Park, the various castles and forts, culture centres, beach resorts,
international football matches in Accra and the big one... Mole National Park!
We visited Mole in our 5th week which meant we had had 4 weeks to get accustomed
to the Ghanaian way of travelling...which was of course, like every other
aspect of Ghana, full of surprises. Do not expect buses to leave on time, be
prepared to sit for hours for a tro-tro (like small mini buses) to fill up and
do not be surprised to find yourself sat next to a mound of pineapples or even
a goat!!
All of this would not have been possible
without Work the World, their continued support before, during and even after
our trip. It has given me the opportunity to combine both travel and work
within as yet the friendliest, most welcoming and rewarding part of Africa that
I have yet seen.
I wish to thank Work the World and everybody
whom I met for a fantastic 6 weeks of fun and adventure – packed with raw
emotion!!
Diolch yn Fawr!
