In a months’ time I will be starting my nursing placement at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Ghana. Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital is the largest in Takoradi, the Capital of Ghana's Western Region. Patients are frequently referred to ENRH from smaller surrounding district hospitals and rural village clinics throughout the Western Region.

I will be spending four weeks in the Paediatric Department made up of three main units: The two In-patient Wards have 28 beds and admit children from 3 weeks to 12 years of age. Typical cases include malaria (especially severe cerebral malaria), haemolytic anaemia, pneumonia, sickle cell disease, typhoid and meningitis.

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) admits and treats seriously ill new born and premature babies, both from within the hospital and from clinic referrals.

The Out-patient Unit receives on average around 50 cases each day. Conditions are wide-ranging but again include malaria, pneumonia, sickle cell disease and typhoid, as well as skin and ear conditions.

I will then spend two weeks in the A&E department which is open 24 hours and receives an average of 40 patients per day. Common cases include: road traffic accidents, cancerous growths, hernias, ectopias, hypo- and hyperglycemia, severe diarrhoea, convulsions and fractures.

Online news articles from March have described the hospital as being left in a ‘deplorable condition’:

Another article referred to the Neonatal Unit as a ‘death-trap’. The Executive Director of the African Foundation for Premature Babies and Neonatal Care (AFPNC), Miss Selina Bentoom, said recent visits to the unit showed some mothers sleeping on the floors, noting that the NICU had 21 beds and admitted more than 1,000 patients, annually for the past three years.

I am only spending 6 weeks at this hospital where I will be working and learning as a student nurse, however I would like to make a small contribution by donating some basic clinical supplies to the hospital. Simple items such as clinical gloves and hand sanitiser are often in short supply but make such a difference to health outcomes.

On Sunday 20th May I will be running the Simply Health Manchester 10k to raise money to buy supplies for this hospital. I have been advised to buy items once I am in Ghana so I can see what the wards could benefit most from at that time and also contribute to local economy. Any money I raise I will be using to directly buy items, it will not be used to cover the cost of my trip which I have funded myself.

If you could spare a pound or two to sponsor me, I would really appreciate it as of course, the more I raise, the more items I can buy. I will update you on what items the money is spent on. I have added the articles I mentioned below but if you would like any other information just let me know!

Thank you in advance 😊

Alice xx

Ghana: Effia Nkwanta Hospital's Maternity Ward in Deplorable State

Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital left in deplorable state