684 children treated

Volunteers made an impact on the lives of children in local communities

by Kerstin Tschernigg

A glimpse of hope was given to 684 children by a unique medical outreach programme in the Central Region.

From malaria to malnutrition – the health problems of 684 young patients were treated in a medical outreach programme, introduced by Dr Mimi Tedder, an American physician. Due to private funding, Dr Tedder was able to buy medicine to treat children from all backgrounds on a four-day journey throughout the Central Region. Malaria tables, pain killers, vitamins, soap and much more was given out by voluntary helpers and hope was spread to reduce further sicknesses that can be avoided by meeting the basic needs of the daily hygiene.

Volunteers from Global Volunteer Projects got involved in helping out in four villages during the four-day programme. In villages such as Aberam Ankaase and Aberam Esiam, cleaning wounds, taking complaints, measuring the children’s temperature as well as round check-ups were the main duties of all medicine and journalism volunteers. Cases of HIV and malaria could be found throughout the program and were treated with care.

Nicola Wyatt, 19, experienced her first one-to-one treatment even before starting her medicine course at a university in England. The volunteer who is currently undertaking placements both at the Central Regional Hospital and the New Life Orphanage in Cape Coast, said: “Before commencing my medical degree at university, I wanted to be certain that I had made the right career choice. Visiting the local communities on the outreach programme during my gap year has given me the opportunity to see illnesses, which are not common in the UK. In addition to this, the experience has also served as motivation and confirmed that pursuing a career in medicine is right for me.”

Not only have medicine students profited by this experience; also young journalists were given a chance to take part in the programme to expand their skills and put into action the social perspectives of their chosen career.

Broadcast journalism volunteer at Coastal Television, Freddie Church, 19, joined the team on the second day of the excursion and was amazed by the positive responses to the programme: “Being able to help with the medical outreach programme and spreading awareness of the major illnesses, which affect the local area through filming and reporting on the situation, has really been eye-opening and has helped me to get involved in the local communities.”

The volunteers received a warm-hearted welcome by all communities, which also helped to make a step towards interracial cooperation since some children have never seen Caucasians and thus were uncertain about how to approach the volunteers.

22-year-old medicine and orphanage volunteer at Cape Coast, Haley Lobsiger, who is currently obtaining a nursing degree in the US, said: “I think it is a great opportunity for students to learn about medicine and the needs in local communities. It has been very rewarding to establish nurse-patient relationships with a population I usually do not have the chance to get involved with. I have also learned so much about medical conditions that are not prevalent in the US and which I usually do not get to see.”

25-year-old Case Tedder, son of Dr Tedder, who had worked as a volunteer in Cape Coast in 2010, experienced the wonderful Ghanaian culture and informed his mother about the possible missionary work. The physician who has treated patients for 33 years had arrived in Ghana on Sunday, June 5, introducing a medical outreach programme in cooperation with the Country Director of Global Volunteer Projects, Eric Essuah.

“I have come to Ghana to give a basic medical care for great need. Some of the most basic things here, such as soap, water, vitamins, tonic and malaria and worm tablets are simply not provided here. We treat some the children with antibiotics to help them be better and healthier. I have been a physician in practice for 33 years and have done mission work, but the missions I have done have not been a basic need like this. The ones I have done have been more organised and were in larger cities, so this is really the first independent, open village clinic for sick children. It is overwhelming to me. Malnutrition and protein deficiency are huge. The loss of protein and malnutrition is absolutely foundational in the process of disease. Without the correction of the nutrition of the kwashiorkor, which is the severe protein deficiency, we thought we cannot expect to improve or make any impact on behalf of these children,” Dr Tedder said.

Her son returned to Ghana in 2011 after a three-month voluntary placement last year. “He fell in love with the culture and it touches my heart,” the physician added.

The volunteers thoroughly enjoyed the experience, as did Charles Maggs, 24, who will start studying broadcast journalism on a Masters degree in England in September as he is currently working as a radio journalist in Cape Coast: “It has been a very rewarding experience as it allowed me to cover a foreign culture, which is something I hope to do again in the future. I found the medical aspects interesting as it is an area that I have no previous experience of.”

The bright and grateful smiles of the children at the end of each day were the biggest gift for everyone involved and made the great effort a worthwhile, unique experience. Dr Tedder and the volunteer organisation hope for many more communities to receive a special healthcare like this in the future.