Children's Hospital Boston in Ghana

Roadtrip...

Our final 4 team members arrived today: Dr. Fynn-Thompson, Dr. Ravi Thiagarajan, Dr. Vipin Mehta and his son Nitish.

Today the team split up into two groups.   The veterans went to the hospital to finish the last minute details so we will be ready to operate in the morning.  The team saw additional clinic patients and finished the echo reports from all patients.  Then the team met as a group to decide on the final OR list for the next week.  The first two patients tomorrow will be Ama-Sabina and Collins.

The new members of the team went on an adventure to the Cape Coast to visit St. George’s Castle (The Slave Castle) and to do a Canopy Walk.  The trip began at 7:00am when 14 of us carefully boarded a van, henceforth called the clown car!  The trip was 4 hours to the coast over the roads we are beginning to know so well, partially paved/dirt and filled with pot holes.  At one point on the trip we had to stop because we thought, at minimum, we had a flat tire.  Luckily that was not the case and we continued on our way.

We take so much for granted.  We turn on the faucet and water comes out or we turn on an electrical switch and we have power to any appliance we need.  That is not the case many places in Ghana.  We traveled through some remote villages today, many which had no power or running water, only a well to draw water.  We saw the children bathing in buckets by the well, some getting ready for school and the adults filling pans and containers with water to carry on their head back home.   Home is not necessarily close by either.  The roads were lined with families selling goods carried in baskets or bowls on their heads.  We saw open air markets selling furniture, building supplies and even caskets!

We arrived at the Castle just before noon.  The Castle was originally built for the trade in timber and gold and was later used in the transatlantic slave trade .  At any one time there were 1000 slaves (600 men and 400 women) held waiting to board ships to be traded to other countries.  They were not allowed to bath for months at a time and were only given enough food to keep most of them alive.  Many African Americans can trace their ancestry to Western Africa.  By the time the slave trade ended, 8 to 12 million slaves had traveled through these doors.

The canopy walk was in the rain forest and consisted of linked rope bridges connected by platforms above the tree line about 120 feet up!  Everyone was brave enough to try this experience but me.  I have a profound fear of heights!  Even the most courageous in the group agreed by the end of the walk, I had made the correct decision.

The answer to yesterdays question of the day is: cocoa

Question of the Day:

What are the two largest cities in Ghana?

Fact of the Day:

Ghana is one of the most populous countries in sub-Saharan Africa and is home to nearly 18 million people

-Susan

The Second Wave

We finished clinic today around 3:00pm after seeing a total of 42 children over 2 days.  There is more work to do as the echo’s are read and the decision regarding surgery begins.  Tomorrow we are hoping to see more patients. Clinic 2 Gallery

Taking a weight in clinic

Echo during clinic

 William, Henry and Gladys

 The second wave of the team arrived this evening in Kumasi after a long journey.  We had a special surprise guest in NY for the Boston team, Josh, who used to work with many people in the cardiovascular program at Children’s.

Tomorrow the rookie team members will be traveling to the Cape Coast for a little sightseeing.  The rest of the team will finish up the last minute details before surgery begins Friday morning.

Fact of the Day

If you were born in Ghana today (Wed.) your name would be:

Male=Kweku

Female=Akuya

Meaning=fame

Answer to yesterday’s questions of the day is:

The national sport of Ghana is soccer(football)

Question of the Day

What is the main agricultural export for Ghana?

The Value of Power

Every evening the power has gone out briefly, but last night the motel had to go to the back up generator. When we awoke this morning, the generator had run out of fuel so we were at half power.  No hair dryers or air conditioning this morning!  Thankfully the water was still hot and we were able to get breakfast.

The clinic is up and running smoothly and we have already seen 11 patients in 1.5 hours.  It will be a busy day.

Electricity permitting, i will post photos and updates this evening.

-Susan

Lines are Forming

We opened the clinic today around 10:00am to a line of eager parents waiting to have their children evaluated.  We saw 16 patients today, some for the first time and some from last year, like Fast Eddy and James.  During the evaluations we found one Transposition and one ASD among other congenital heart defects.   We will begin clinic tomorrow at 7:30am and hope to see many more patients. See the Clinic Gallery

James and his dad

 

 

 

Susan and Michael

 

 

 

 

After the clinic we had a chance to walk to the Cultural Center to do some shopping.   We went into many shops, but most of our time was spent in the fabric store.  Orders were placed by the girls for handmade dresses, shirts, purses, hats and head bands.  On the way back to the hotel the skies opened up with a tropical rain storm.  We were all soaked by the time we reached our rooms.  It did cool it off nicely for dinner tonight.

Breakfast is tomorrow at 6:30 am and the bus leaves for the hospital at 7:00am.  We are looking forward to a busy and productive day.

The answer to yesterdays question is: Ghana is 5 degrees above the equator.

Today’s Question:

What is the national sport of Ghana?

Today’s Fact:

If you were born today (Tuesday) in Ghana your name would be:

Male=Kwabena

Female=Abena

Meaning=Fire

Joke of the Day

How do you turn on a shower in Ghana?  Don’t ask Mary, Cheryl or Leah because they do not know the answer!

-Susan

Out with the Old in with the New

We want to begin doing a fact of the day and a question of the day.  Please comment your answers and we will confirm the answer the following day, internet permitting.

Today’s Fact of the Day

If you were born today in Ghana (Monday) your name would be:

Male=Kojo 

Female=Ajoa

Meaning=Peace

Question of the Day:

How many degrees above the equator is Ghana?

Today we arrived at the new hospital around 8:30AM eager to see familiar faces and get started with the day.  Our job was to move all of the equipment and supplies from the old hospital to the new hospital and set up the ICU, OR and clinic areas. Moving Day Photos  We met with Patience, the nursing director of the hospital, who gave us a tour of the new hospital.  Then it was down to business.  We soon spit into well organized groups to load stretchers with supplies and load them onto trucks to be unloaded at the new hospital.  We moved and moved and moved!

 

 

Lot's of boxes....one little truck!

The boxes just kept coming but we got a bigger truck!
  
 

During the move, a patient that we operated on two missions ago named Jessica, stopped by to visit.  She looked fabulous and she and her mom were excited to see us.  She will return on Monday when the post surgical patients will be seen in clinic.

 

Jessica with Mom
 

The day ended around 7pm.  We were not completely finished but we were exhausted after a long day.  We will be back in the morning to complete the setup and start seeing patients around noon in the clinic.

Setting up the new hospital Clinic Area

Setting up the pump in the new OR
  
 

We’re in Ghana, don’t you know!

 

-Susan

 

 

Akwaaba (Welcome) to Ghana

We arrived in Accra one hour ahead of schedule at 7:00AM Sunday.  Upon entering customs we saw the sign welcoming us to Ghana.  Francis’s parents kindly met us at the airport and assisted us through customs.  We boarded our bus (see Accra to Kumasi photos) and left for Kumasi, which is the Ashanti regional capital.  Before we could leave the airport a car began beeping for us to pull over.  It was the family of a patient we operated on from Accra last Dec. named Kelly.  We stopped the bus and visited with Kelly, his parents and twin brothers.  Then it was off to Kumasi.  The bus ride took about 7 hours, which included a stop for lunch.  For the veterans the Star beer at the restaurant was a welcome site.

 

It is hard to put into words the sights and smells that greeted us on our trip.  The air has a burnt smell along with a hint of spice…very unusual.  The road from Accra to Kumasi was one third dirt, one third partially paved and one third paved which made for a long but scenic trip.  I must say the most amazing thing was watching everyone carry things on their heads.  They carried everything from poles to food.  As the bus slowed in every town, we were met by people attempting to sell us goods, which ranged from paint brushes to food.  

Tonight I am sure we will be early to bed after our group dinner at the hotel, since we have been up for more than 24 hours.  Tomorrow we will go to the hospital and begin moving and inventorying all of our equipment and supplies to the new building.

-Susan

On Our Way

Twelve of us arrived at Boston's Logan Airport today at 12:00 excited and eager to begin this adventure.  We arrived safely at JFK airport at 4:00 pm and are now boarding the flight to Ghana.  We will arrive in Accra, Ghana at 8:00am on Sunday which will be 4:00AM EST, then we have a 6 hour bus ride to Kamasi.  I will post again once we arrive.

Susan

A Few Thoughts...

I am quite proud of the efforts of the entire group this trip. Once again, our trip was full of both anticipated and unexpected challenges. It was inspiring to see this group handle these simple and complex problems with as much tenacity and compassion, resourcefulness and gumption, as that which I regularly witness at home in Boston.

I was heartened to see our partners in Kumasi engaged and eager. I was comforted by the now familiar sights and smell of Ghana welcoming us again. It reminded me, once again, that the delivery of complex care is often limited by resources, but isn’t, at Children’s Hospital Boston – Kumasi Branch, by will.

Mark (Cardiac Intensivist)

Godsends...

I’m sitting on Delta Flight #167 heading home from Ghana and reflecting on my fondest memory.

Patience, Miracle, Blessing, Charity and Godknows are some of the names of folks that we met this week.  Patience is the Director of Nursing and is one of our “Godsends”.  She is always there for our team and the nurses.  That’s why we were so grateful to give back to her.  A group us spent an afternoon at her parents village (“some of the poorest of the poor”) to bring books, pencils, crayons and clothing to her people.

 

We were greeted by hundreds of children that were taught to politely ask “How are you?” and introduce themselves.  Many of them had never seen a white person (and those that know me know that I’m really white!).  Fascinated children touched my hair and skin.  A hand written program was passed out. The children sang and danced.  Poems were read. Ceremomial greetings were shared with the elders.  This was a celebration and the blessing was ours.

 

We rushed off to get back to the hospital to care for the cardiac patients. As we were pulling away there was a last knock on the bus door and a gift of local bananas and oranges was presented. There was a clear exchange of goods, smiles, fascination and good will. HOPE is what Patience says is our greatest gift to her people. Joy and happiness is the greatest gift I receive from them.

 

It is difficult to express how the past three missions have impacted me, but I can say with each trip the journey feels a little closer and the commonalities seem more apparent.

 

Moira (CICU Nurse)

Many Parts Make A Team

When I look back on this week’s events, I remembered being on the airplane flying from Boston to Accra. I had pulled out my crochet hook and two skeins of yarn and very quickly crocheted a scarf.  My aunt taught me how to crochet when I was 10 years old and now “slightly” older, I can crochet with my eyes closed.

This is my 3rd mission to Ghana and even though some areas of it ran like a well oiled machine, there were other areas where the engine bucked, sputtered and almost stalled.  The challenges we faced this time were unimaginable and I quickly realized that no matter how many times you do something, you can never quite do it enough to do it with your eyes closed.

I would like to take this time to thank each and everyone on the team for not only your hard work, your dedication and compassion but for your incredible adaptability.  You all kept the engine running! 

  “Something unpredictable and in the end it’s right---I hope you had the time of your life.”      

Thanks to all,

Judy (CICU Nurse)