Yesterday, Health Volunteers Overseas announced the launch of a new hand therapy project at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi, Ghana. The new project expands HVO’s work at KATH to four areas – joining our projects in orthopaedics, hand surgery, and anesthesia.
The new hand therapy project at KATH will focus on a number of objectives that will ultimately lead to better patient care in upper extremity rehabilitation. Working with staff (including the twenty physiotherapists at KATH, hand surgeons, fellows and residents), HVO volunteers will provide training in a variety of areas related to hand therapy and improve interdisciplinary communication to develop a team approach to patient care.
The new project will create an essential continuing education opportunity for therapists and help expand and improve rehabilitative services in Ghana, where trauma-related injuries and recovery are an ever-growing burden. An HVO volunteer once observed of the Accident and Emergency Center at KATH: “Traffic accidents are a major epidemic in this part of the world, with the volume only increasing rapidly. They see between 15 – 20 significant injuries per day…”
HVO’s latest project builds on previous work at KATH. In the fall of 2010, HVO officially launched an orthopedics project focused on trauma care in Ghana, where a population of 23 million people has fewer than 2,500 physicians. The project expanded to hand surgery in 2014. Earlier this year, HVO also launched an anesthesia project at KATH. For this project, volunteers work to increase the number and quality of trained anesthesia residents, nurse anesthetist staff, nurse anesthetist students, medical students and House Officers, augmenting teaching and training for students and staff through lectures, bedside training, mentoring and more.
HVO’s new hand therapy project will help ensure the rehabilitation of those receiving hand surgeries (from trained surgeons and anesthesia providers).
The project is seeking highly qualified, active or retired certified hand therapists who are licensed in physical or occupational therapy. Volunteers must have three to five years of clinical experience, and teaching experience is preferred. Hand therapists are encouraged to go in pairs and are welcome to collaborate with hand surgeons when possible. Assignments are two to four weeks.
Learn more about the project and how you can become a volunteer.