MOTEC LIFE-UK | News - Motec Life-UK June Teams Return To UK

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Motec Life-UK June Teams Return To UK

Eleven travelling volunteers of Motec returned from Ghana after a two-week working visit to Nkawkaw Holy Family and Koforidua St Joseph’s Hospital. During the two-week working visit, sub groups visited the Tema General Hospital to assess the proposed collaboration between West Herts NHS Trust Accident and Emergency and the Hospital in the harbour municipality of Tema. The visiting group had the pleasure of paying an assessment visit to Pramso St Michael’s Hospital (the health institution whose link with Motec led to the financial support of MIDA to some travelling African members of Motec).

Motec worked for the first time at Nkawkaw during this June’s visit. The lead Clinician, Mr S. P. Raymond, Consultant General Surgeon, West Hertfordshire NHS Trust Hospitals led Motec to treat many General Surgical acute and elective conditions, run clinics and gave daily audio-visual lectures to the hospital Staff and the students of the Nursing College. Mr Raymond led a strong team of five, Mr Simon Derbie Senior Nurse ODP (UK)/also a qualified Nurse Anaesthetist from the University of Science and Technology, Kumasi. Mrs Mercy Acheampong, Senior Scrub Nurse, Mrs G. Ofori-Atta, Scrub Nurse and ODP (Operating Department Practitioner), and Mr Raymond Ofori, Microbiologist who worked at both Koforidua and Nkawkaw sites. About forty major surgical operations were carried out including hernias, acute trauma, and elective general surgical cases.

For the first time, Motec had two orthopaedic surgeons working back to back at Koforidua St Joseph’s Hospital. Mr Ofori-Atta and Mr Bannerman led a team of seven. Dr Ami Kotecha, Anaesthetist, Miss Rosemary Doogan, Theatre Manager/Scrub Sister, Mrs Veronica Mac-Quarshie, Senior Scrub Nurse, Miss Davinia Leggett, Senior Physiotherapist and Mr Raymond Ofori, microbiologist (cross sites). The teams worked very hard running clinics, managing in patients, performing operations and delivering daily lectures in spite of initial local difficulties with water and electricity supplies.

The team is grateful to MIDA for sponsoring the trip of three travelling members and Dr Ami Kotecha who self sponsored her trip. Moreover, the President of Motec has commended the hard work of all members, considering the depth of commitment to the task, the sacrifices of annual leave and comfort, personal financial costs to all members, and particularly worthy of emulation, financial contributions from the travelling membership.

Dr Ami Kotecha, Anaesthetist, supported by Mr Ofori-Atta, led the delegation to Tema. During the two and a half hour visit, the entire hierarchy of the Tema General Hospital (TGH) led by Dr Charity Sarpong (Medical Director), welcomed the Motec delegation and participated in a tour of the facilities as well as questions and answers session. A full report is expected to be prepared for study by appropriate authorities to help define the collaboration between West Herts and Tema. The local Hospital Administrator Mr Amoateng led a similar visit to Pramso St Michaels Hospital (PSMH). Mr Simon Derbie is expected to present a report for study by Motec and PSMH Authorities.

The Social climax of the trip to Ghana was a visit to the Palace at Koforidua, at the invitation of Dasebere Professor Oti Boateng I, The Paramount Chief of Koforidua. Dasebere (a traditional royal title of kingship) welcomed the Motec team in the midst of his traditional council deliberations. It was joy to see traditional proceedings on matters relevant to the progress of the Koforidua township. Dasebere officially agreed wholeheartedly to be the main speaker of Motec’s first ever-inaugural lecture in Accra at the British Council Auditorium in Accra on the 16th of October (4 to 6p.m.).

Overall, the trip to Ghana was a success and Motec is already preparing for their next trip in October (13th to 28th) 2007. For Motec members, there were humbling and enjoyable professional and social experiences. Now more than twenty volunteers have stepped forward ready for the October trip, about half of whom are consultants in the United Kingdom and Holland. Motec is fully aware of the request from the Ghana College of Surgeons and Physicians to consider the training of local orthopaedic trauma residents from the Teaching Hospitals in Accra and Kumasi during our working visits to Ghana. Motec will take time to deliberate on the implications with all interested parties, mobilise of resources both from Ghana and within the reach of Motec and friends.