10:24 AM
Unknown
Post: Ghana ER
Program
Organization: Project
HOPE
Location: Kumasi,Ghana
Background
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.
Check our Facebook page, "Project HOPE
Recruitment" for new employment and volunteer opportunities
Closing date: 31 Oct
2013
How to apply:
APPLY HERE:
Posted in: Ghana ER Program