This year our medical mission took us to Ghana, West Africa. Ghana, formerly called Gold Coast, was the first sub-Saharan African country to achieve independence from colonial rule, in 1957. After a brief period of prosperity in the 1960's.Ghana experienced a series of coups d’etat and instability, which eventually plunged the country into deep economic crisis throughout much of the 1970's and 1980's. Although Ghana has a democratic government and its economy is growing at an average rate of 3.2%, the effects of many years of economic stagnation, including neglect of key institutions, are evident all over the country. Long queues at emergency rooms and dilapidated medical equipment characterize hospitals in the country. The ratio of physicians to the population is extremely low. It is estimated that only six physicians are available to 100,000 people. In the United States, by comparison, there are approximately two-hundred and seventy physicians available to every 100,000 people.
The situation is worse for women and children from poor households. In a country where 38% of the population lives on less than $1 a day, many families are unable to access the already weak healthcare system.
This year a group of eighteen physicians and nurses representing IHCV traveled to Ghana to provide free healthcare in the areas of general medicine (hypertension, diabetes, malaria, and other diseases), gynecological care (gynecologic cancer, urogynecology, and general gynecology), obstetrics and general surgery.
Overall, 600 patients were attended to. About 40 major and 2 minor surgeries were performed in the two-week period during the medical mission. We could not operate on all the patients who needed surgery, but were able to provide surgical care for those who needed it most.
We (IHCV) would like to extend our sincere thanks to all our many sponsors who continue to provide the necessary support for us to bring healthcare to underserved population. The patients who benefit from your support also thank you. Our sincere thanks to the Board of Directors, the Fund-raising Committee, and the Medical Committee. Without their hard work this organization will not be able to function at its present level.
