Date: September 24 – October 4 2017
Location: Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital, Mampong, Ghana
Team Size: 28
Length of Mission: 10 days (+5 days follow up for Global Surgery Fellow)
Number of patients seen/triaged: 89
Number of Surgeries Performed: 61
This was ISHI’s fifth annual mission to the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital (TQMH) in Mampong, Ghana. ISHI was invited back to TQMH with the approval from the hospital leadership and regional tribal leaders to continue and expand upon the work done in previous years.
Our objective was to perform 50 free, safe surgeries, to provide didactic and clinical education, and to encourage knowledge exchange between the ISHI and TQMH teams.
Patients from the surrounding Akuapem region were recruited weeks before the ISHI team arrival by the TQMH team. Patients were telephone screened prior to arrival by the local physicians to ensure efficient triage. A total of 89 patients were seen and 59 scheduled for surgery. The remaining 30, who could not receive safely receive surgery from the ISHI team, were provided with consultations and referrals.
A total of 61 operations were performed on 59 patients, a new high for ISHI at TQMH. 12 hours of formal lectures and 20-30 hours of bedside/practical education was performed by various member of the ISHI team. The ISHI emergency medicine team also performed 14 ultrasound consultations for TQMH patients. A model for endoscopic simulation for trainees was also built using local material and tested with the TQMH residents. The model may be used in the future at TQMH and other locales in for training as hospitals in low and middle income countries expand their capacity for endoscopy.
Dr. Peter Johnston and Stephen Ellwood MS4 stayed behind the mission for five extra days to ensure appropriate surgical follow up and were able to see ~90% of the patients. No early major complications were discovered. Patients from the 2016 mission to TQMH were also seen for 1 year follow up and thankfully no issues were encountered
Special Thanks to:
The Hon. Helen Ntoso, Regional Minister, for hosting the team.
The Hon. Otoobour Djan Kwasi II for allowing us to provide services in the Aburi region.
Dr. Mawuli Gyakobo, Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons
Dr. Albert Benneh, Medical Superintendent at TQMH.
Nellie Kemevor: for Contacting and coordinating with all the Nana and supporting the ISHI effort in Mampong
Surgical Team: Kevin Clarke MD, Ziad Sifri MD, Neil Banga MD, Sunirmal Ghosh MD, Akia Caine MD, Kambiz Kamrani MD, Peter Johnston MD, Corey Chang MD, Maryse Menard MD
Anesthesia: Mahdi Jallad MD, Phil Knowles CRNA, Lori Amertil MD, Stephen Ellwood MS4
PAR / Ward: Lanika Tucker RN, Sol Muniz RN, Jamie Norman RN, Michaela Jorrin APN
OR Nurse / Tech: Nicole Pollart RN, Renae Adamson RN, Michael Spurling RN
Medical / Ultrasound: Harsh Sule MD, Georgia Davies MD, Lana Shakar MD, Enoch Obeng MD
Logistics Support: Andrew Abdelmalek, Jamie Gutierrez-Calderon, Philomena Osafo
Mission coordinator / Physical therapy: Vickey Patel PT
Research / Special projects: Madina Aziz