This year, our medical mission took us to Ghana, West Africa and Jamaica West Indies. Ghana was the first sub-Saharan African country to achieve independence from colonial rule in 1957 while Jamaica obtained its independence in 1962. Ghana and Jamaica have democratic governments and their economies are growing at an average rate of 3.5% and -4% respectively (2009).
Fortunately, this year international healthcare volunteers traveled to Ghana in August and to Jamaica (in conjunction with Medicine in Action group) in November to provide free healthcare in the areas of general medicine (hypertension, diabetes, malaria, and other diseases), gynecological care (gynecologic oncology, urogynecology), obstetrics, anesthesia, pediatrics, general/oncology surgery.
Overall, 950 patients were attended to and about 110 major surgeries were performed in the two week period in Ghana during the medical mission in four cities and performed cervical cancer screening in 2 of the 4 cities. Unfortunately we could not operate on all the patients who needed surgery but were able to provide the surgical care for those who needed it most. While in Jamaica we saw over 500 patients and performed many cervical cancer screening as well. In Ghana Gynecologist at KNUST hospital were introduced to laparoscopic surgery and had hands on didactics with the goal of learning to perform. Laparoscopic surgeries starting 2011 mission. For the second year in a row the HIV/Aids program provided their work shop at Apam hospital.
