22 January 2025 Part 2 – Workshop with the ICT department of the Catholic University of Ghana, two surprise visits and more
The visits we made this afternoon showed just how important our beds are for the hospitals in the Bono region. On the one hand, we were able to visit a smaller hospital in Fiabre, with which we have been in contact for several years. This picture was also taken there. In this 4-bed department, patients are cared for on beds donated by us. The department is the absolute showcase department and is equipped accordingly. By Ghanaian standards, nothing is missing. There are even mosquito nets and an oxygen supply.
When we asked what the donated beds meant for this hospital, we were taken to another room where we met happy patients and their parents. The parents were excited about how comfortable the beds are and how important it is that a bed is available for every patient. They feel it would be discriminatory if they were treated on the floor. This is still common in smaller hospitals, especially in rural areas.
The nurses were almost more enthusiastic about the beds. They particularly praised the bed’s adjustment options. It is a great relief for them when they don’t always have to bend down to treat patients, but can raise the bed, which is not the case with most of the other beds we saw. They also praised the maneuverability of the beds and their robustness.
This medical mattress was in perfect condition when it was donated to us. Of course, we only send donated medical or technical equipment after we have checked it thoroughly and found it to be in good condition. Our first container stood in the sun in the harbor for around 150 days before “issues” could be resolved and the beds could be transported to Sunyani.
The heat in the container and the salty sea air are to blame for the fact that the rubber coating on the mattresses has virtually disintegrated. This is all the more regrettable because the mattresses are used without bed covers due to the lack of them. Unimaginable for us – but everyday life in Ghana. We can hardly imagine what the beds still in the containers at the harbour will look like after almost 2 years. Although we are working with our partners to find ways to prepare the beds before they are used, we are very skeptical. It is a shame that a few people want to enrich themselves with these donated beds.
Another highlight for us was the invitation from our project partner Patricia Acchia (Pat) to her new, not yet fully completed 3-room house in Sunyani. Patricia is our project partner in the “WhatsApp4Pregnant Women and Young Mothers” project, which we have been accompanying and supporting for several years now.
The enthusiasm of Pat, a registered midwife, is absolutely infectious. In addition to her family and a full-time job as a midwife in a clinic, she finds 2-3 hours a day to support 561 expectant and young mothers via WhatsApp. It’s unbelievable how she manages it! We will be reporting more about this project in our 15th travel report on Saturday.