Projects Abroad Medical Outreach Work in Cape Coast, Ghana

Volunteers who have been working on the Ghanamost of the children to come to the two gap
medical programme have started to work on anyear students and get checked out. One
outreach programme going into the Orphanagesimportant reason for volunteers carrying out the
where volunteers work in and around Cape Coast.work is to hopefully overcome the fear and
Ian Birbeck from the UK office visited thesuspicions some Ghanaians have about going to
programme last week; “ It was great to seehospital. This creates some real problems in the
the impact that volunteers were having helping tohospitals with patients only coming to the doctor
clean up wounds and small infections the childrenwhen the condition is really serious. It is hoped
had. One of the problems at the orphanages isthat the children will get used to being seen by
that basic cuts and injuries are sometimes leftthe doctor without too much fear and trepidation.
and become infected. The volunteers have madeAlready many basic wounds have been tended to
a real impact.”by volunteers. In one case they managed to spot
At the OOEIM orphanage outside of Cape Coasta more serious condition and took the child into
Tim Fazio from Australia and Charlotte Friis fromthe Central Regional Hospital to get checked out
Denmark were working on the project. Theby the experts.
reward of a sweet was enough to persuade