Anidaso Health is a nonprofit group dedicated to helping with medical missions and supplies to the under served. We also provide gifts and support for other endeavors such as education, clean water projects, and orphanages. Anidaso means hope in Twii , the main Ghanaian language.
We have completed our 6th mission in 7 years to Ghana in November 2013.
We were aided by the hard work of Salormey Volunteers Group, our partners in Ghana from the beginning. This year we were also aided by Original Volunteers from the UK, as well. We thank them and all the people who donated money, time and supplies to this effort.
2013 brought a group of seventeen dedicated volunteers from Indiana, Wisconsin and Illinois, including a 8 physicians, 3 nurses, a physical therapist, a high school student , a MPH, a CNA, a nurse anesthetist and a photographer who volunteered their skills, time, hard work, and money during our seventh successful mission. We brought medicine and medical supplies, dispensing them freely to patients throughout our stay.
We were again working in Kwahu Government Hospital in Atibie where a dedicated surgical team performed more than 50 surgeries in a two week period. The general and plastic surgeons surgeries included skin grafts, thyroidectomies, lipoma removals, and hernia repairs, among others. They were hey were aided locally by staff at the Kwahu Government Hospital, and established their base at the hospital surgery department, ot theatre as it is called. premises.Their work was aided by surgical equipment and instruments shipped to Ghana through our partner charity Children of Abraham for this purpose . These were later donated to the Kwahu Government hospital.
Prior to our visit, SVG conducted interviews and made announcements on several local radio stations. This was to allow for awareness and wide reach within the local population, and thus the success of the mission.
The medical team did medical treatment outreach in 8 villages: Oboyan, Bukuruwa, Mangoase, Kwaku Safo, Mangoase, Hweehwee caring for the a variety of illnesses as well as performing diabetes and hypertensive screening for the adults and prophylactic treatments of the children. Wounds and skin infections were treated; walkers, crutches and wheelchairs were given out when needed by our physical therapist.
In addition we contributed funds and gifts to an orphanage and donated medical equipment and educational materials to local health facilties and communities. The team also donated clothes, shoes and other material to the communities we visited.
We also participated in clean water initiatives, bringing water filters to 2 villages and contributing to a well and pump project.
Health care is very variable throughout Ghana. Urban centers are better served, and contain most of the hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies in the country. However, rural areas often have no modern health care. Patients in these areas either rely on traditional African medicine, or travel great distances for health care. In 2010, there were about 15 physicians and 93 nurses per 100,000 persons, compared to 240 physicians per 100,000 persons in the USA.
The goal of the surgical team was to perform surgeries that due to lack of specialists and/or equipment, costs related to the operations, issues of access to facilities and others, do not take place in the region.
According to the World Health Organization, the most common diseases in Ghana include cholera, pulmonary tuberculosis, anthrax, chicken pox, infectious hepatitis, malaria, tetanus, pertussis, trachoma, measles and schistosomiasis. In most cases, these diseases are preventable and waterborne, but only 50% of all citizens of Ghana have access to safe water. Another problem is sanitation as only 30.3 percent of people of Ghana have regular sanitation services. In addition, people are at very high risk of diseases acquired through insect bites.
Trips were in the fall of 2013, 2010 and 2008 and the spring of 2012, 2007 and 2006. Our work in Ghana is facilitated by Salormey Volunteers Group. Fred and Rebeca were outstanding as always. Original Volunteers UK whose help was marvelous. We are also partnering with Cheerful Hearts and the Safewater Trust.
