Ghana, May 2025

 MISSION SUMMARY:

Date: May 1st 2025 - May 13th 2025
Location: Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital; Mampong, Ghana
Mission Leader: Dr. Ziad Sifri
Volunteers: 19
Length of Mission: 13 days

MISSION BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES

This was ISHI’s tenth mission to the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital (TQMH) in Mampong, Ghana, and ISHI’s 32nd mission. ISHI was once again invited back to TQMH with the approval from the hospital leadership including Dr. Ablohr, Dr. Serah Adunah and Maxwell Larbi, as well as the regional tribal leaders, to continue and expand upon the work done in previous years. This was ISHI’s 10th mission to Ghana and TQMH.

SUMMARY OF MISSION AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Patient Care:

• Performed 48 operations

• Triaged/performed general, trauma, and medical consultations

• Performed urologic and OBGYN consultations 

• Performed short-term follow-up and treatment/consultation for post-operative issues

• Delivered and donated medication & supplies to TQMH 

Teaching:

• 60+ hours of hands-on teaching and demonstrations to local staff, including on circulating techniques during operative cases

• Teaching of anesthesia topics to the local staff

• Providing Stop the Bleed and suturing training to the local staff

• Continued knowledge exchange and collaboration with the local CRNAs

• Continual knowledge exchange between ISHI and local ward nurses

• Hands-on ultrasound training administered

• Teaching basic cystoscopy 

Community/Donations:

• Personal and surgical hygiene equipment

• Operative equipment, including sterile gloves and suture

• Urologic equipment including urinary catheters

• Supplies to the Mother/Baby unit of the hospital

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL EXCHANGE

Education continued to be a major focus of the mission.  Structured ultrasound training was performed by Francisco Alvarado MD, while Max Munoz MD and Nayoung Yang MD  and Sifri performed structured suturing and Stop the Bleed training. 

Bedside knowledge exchange occurred throughout the day while our volunteer nurses worked together with the local training of OR nurses in the theater where many nurses built on last year’s training. Over the years, we have enjoyed close relationships with these nurses, many of whom serve TQMH on a long-term basis. 

ISHI VOLUNTEERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Surgeons: Vladislav Bargman MD, Alaine Sharpe MD, Sydney Walker DO, Francisco Alvarado MD, Max Munoz MD, Nayoung Yang MD, Kulsum Larry MD

Anesthesia: Daphne Kontos MD, Joy Quitiquit CRNA, Frank Mark SRNA

Respiratory Tech: Marie Mondesir RT

Nurses: Tracey Bradley RN, Socorro Galano-Rogers RN, Kimberly Gray RN, Pushpa Goel RN, Nelson Felix RN

Logistics and planning Team: Amanda Schaufele, Daniel Acquah, Kimberly Gray, Socorro Galano-Rogers 

Mission Team Leader: Ziad Sifri MD 

SPECIAL THANKS TO: 

Thank you to all 2025 volunteers for all the hard work and making it a successful and memorable mission - and thank you to all of our donors who make our missions possible!

In Ghana: The Hon. Regional Minister, for hosting the team

The Hon. Nana Otoobour Djan Kwasi II and Queen Mother Awo Adwoa Amenei for inviting us to provide services in the Aburi region

The Hon. Nana Nellie Kemevor: Local champion coordinating our effort in Mampong

Dr. Ablohr, Medical Superintendent at the TQMH

Dr. Serah Adunah, Clinical Care Coordinator at the TQMH

Maxwell Larbi, Administrator at the TQMH

Dr. Mawuli Gyakobo, Ghanaian College of Physicians and Surgeons