Medicine in Ghana

Our medical programmes in Ghana are based in Accra, Cape Coast and the Akuapem Hills. In Accra and Cape Coast you will be based in a bustling city hospital, working with patients who have a wide range of illnesses. In the semi-rural Akuapem Hills, the hospital is smaller, but still has a range of different departments where volunteers can work. Small village clinics in Ghana often lack even basic medical facilities, so you will be attending to patients from a huge catchment area, who have often travelled many miles to reach a hospital with the facilities they need.

"In certain departments I felt I benefited the hospital (the ward, laboratory, outpatients) by helping with the workload. In other areas (operating theatres) it was more of a work experience placement where I benefited from the experience I was gaining. Above all, it was great to be able to choose which departments I worked in and for how long." Rachel Archer

When you first arrive at the hospital you will discuss your work schedule with your Teaching & Projects Abroad co-ordinator and the placement supervisor who will be a member of the hospital staff. Most volunteers choose to spend time in a variety of different departments within the hospital, including accident and emergency, paediatrics, maternity, pharmacy, physiotherapy and surgery.

The hospitals where we work provide an excellent backdrop for learning and improving your medical skills. You will find yourself coming into contact with conditions that you wouldn't normally see in Europe and North America, such as malaria and typhoid, on an almost daily basis.

To read a more detailed information about this project, you may visit our Volunteer Medicine & Physiotherapy in Ghana specialized website.