For medical students and pre-med students, interning or volunteering in a foreign nation can be life changing experience. It adds volume to the resume while students can get the experience of working in impoverished hospital and care centers in rural and urban areas. Often the lack of state of the art system, even absence of basic healthcare services pushes the students to think out of the box and improvise on the spot. This can help a lot in future endeavors and help them appreciate what it is like to work in tough conditions.
Ghana has come a long way since the 1990′s when healthcare services struggled to exist. Till today, the far-off places have inadequate resources. Volunteering with any hospital here often means no remuneration, lots of work load and tough working conditions. Quite the tightrope walk, it is not easy for everyone to come and pitch in with the conditions existing here. With both hands full, it often turns out to be overwhelming for first timers who may not be used to the abject level of poverty and suffering.
By being there, volunteers and interns can help a lot the local population who are still dependent on traditional medicine system. The type of work assigned depends mostly on the knowledge and expertise brought in by the volunteers. More experienced you are, more will be the depth of the work assigned to you. Experienced doctors and staff can even treat patients suffering from more deadly diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria, etc. Pre-med and medical students can assist the doctors and nurses in the general care of the patients, earning valuable experience and knowledge.
Some duties often do not involve much technical knowledge and expertise. Giving vaccinations of Polio, Typhoid, Hepatitis A and B, Meningitis to babies, help with post natal care, treating wounds and cuts. Even non-medical volunteers can take part in healthcare program in roles that require little or no technical expertise. Just a willingness and a genuine compassion to help out.
A major threat to the Ghanaian healthcare is water borne diseases and lack of drinkable water. Volunteers can help diffuse this volatile system by educating the general masses about methods of treating water, making it fit for consumption. Maintaining hygiene in and around houses, value of cleanliness and conduct healthcare drives that looks at basic level of health of inhabitants. Adults need to be educated about HIV/AIDS and how to best treat the afflicted patients. There needs to be a change in the way African society views AIDS patients. Healthcare volunteers are also encouraged to conduct sessions with school children teaching them about personal hygiene with regards to cleaning teeth, daily bath, cleaning hair and nails. General cleanliness lessons imparted to school children can help avert many potential cases of diseases.
Volunteering Solutions runs healthcare programs in two cities in Ghana – Tamale and Kumasi. People of both these cities are very friendly and appreciate the help being given at local centers. They love the foreigners who come to their villages, learn their language, live with them and help them get better.
A major draw in Ghana is that volunteers stay with local host families in the very same circumstances that they endure everyday. This helps the get a first hand perspective of Ghanaian life and how to best cope with it. While the Ghana volunteer healthcare program runs mostly on weekdays, weekends have been left free for volunteers to explore the nearby areas that promise beautiful nature scenes. For more information about the healthcare program visit website.
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