REPORT OF OPERATION HERNIA MISSION TO BOLE HOSPITAL, GHANA DATE: 15-22 APRIL 2023
Author: Dr Ramia Stolts, Consultant Surgeon, Sweden
This report gives the perspective of Dr Stolt who was making his first trip on an Operation Hernia mission.
Team:
1. Dr Chris Oppong, Consultant Surgeon (UK, Chairman Operation Hernia)
2. Dr Ramia Stolt, Consultant Surgeon
3 Dr Alphonsus Nindow, Bole Medical Superintendent
My Dream and Planning
Originally it was planned that my colleagues and I would go on this mission as the first Swedish team. However, due to the short notice occasioned by the bureaucratic chaos related to visa application, I was the only one remaining from the team. I was going to Bole District Hospital in Ghana for an Operation Hernia mission. A trip to Africa has always been my dream ever since I was a kid. And thanks to Dr Oppong who was kind enough to invite me to join this mission, it was now finally time for the departure to Accra, capital of Ghana.
After overnight stay at the Baptist Guest House in Accra, we took an internal flight to Tamale, in northern Ghana, from where we were driven to Bole in a hospital vehicle. The four-hour road trip allowed one to enjoy the beautiful natural environment of Ghana.
Accommodation
Our accommodation at Bole, was at the government guest house. It was comfortable and more than adequate. I was really thrilled to finally visit the Bole District hospital with the medical supplies that we both brought for the mission. We visited the hospital that evening and installed the diathermy machines we had brought with us and prepared for all the work that was ahead of us.
Daily Routine
We started on Monday morning at 7.30 am. Together with the senior nurse anaesthesiologist, we saw and assessed all the 18 patients that had come from long distances just for their operation. At first, we were a bit disorganized but as days passed by, we got better and became more efficient with the routines. We decided it would be better to start assessing patients at 06:30 am instead of 07:30 am.
Each patient was examined by a surgeon to confirm the diagnosis and assess the size of their groin swellings. I think I learned 10 different ways to say, “cough” in the different Ghanaian languages! We constructed an operation list for the day and got on with it.
The hospital had two theatres and I was really happy to be allocated the “pink” theatre with my own scrub team (wearing pink gowns of course). We had to deal with unbelievable cases that I personally haven’t seen in my entire surgical career as a trainee or a consultant. It was a range of huge sliding scrotal hernias reaching the knees, huge hydroceles, recurrent inguinal hernias, incisional hernias and many female hernias. It was very impressive to do the surgeries under spinal anaesthesia or if feasible under local anaesthesia. In Sweden we usually do them under general anaesthesia, so it was quite educational to be able to do them under local anaesthesia infiltration and was impressed that it actually worked!
I was really impressed by how motivated, happy and efficient the staff were in relation to their resources. They were all very humble and truly helpful in every way – always with a big smile and warmth. We were always welcomed by the typical Ghanaian hospitality wherever we went – from the ordinary staff, nurse anaesthesiologist, the Director of the hospital to the Regional Health Director, who visited us in theatre.
Patient’s treated
A total of 72 operations (46 groin hernias, 5 ventral hernias and 21 other procedures) were performed on 65 patients during that week.
Final Thoughts
As a result of my experience during this trip, I am now more humble and grateful in life. I have the amazing people in Bole and Dr Oppong to thank for all of that. Dr Oppong has very quickly become my mentor and he is such an inspirational and passionate surgeon who wants to make a change – a vision that we both share. I can’t wait to go for my next mission!!!