Baptist Medical Center - Ghana

Website:

http://www.baptistmedicalcenter.org/

Location

Nalerigu is located near the town of Tamale in the northern part of Ghana, West Africa. The town is in a rural community and has a local market with limited shopping.

Facility

Baptist Medical Center has capacity for 120 inpatients, is usually full, and occasionally runs as high as 150 percent capacity. At the height of malaria season there may be up to 60-70 kids in the 18-bed pediatric ward. An average of 400-500 outpatients are seen in each clinic, with three clinic days a week. The Center also provides a public health ministry that sponsors rural clinics where villagers receive immunizations, health teaching, prenatal clinics and under five clinics. The hospital ministry was started in 1958 by Dr. Georg Faile, Jr., with support of the International Mission Board, SBC.

Patients

People coming to Baptist Medical Center are often impoverished. Some of the most common medical problems encountered are malaria, malnutrtion, pneumonia, tropical ulcers, typhoid fever, inguinal hernias, pregnancy complications, schistosomiasis, hypertension and anemia.

Medical Staff

The medical staff of Baptist Medical Center consists of two to three American staff physicians at any one time. In addition, a number of physicians from America and other nations visit for short periods each year.

Language Requirement

English is the official language of Ghana. Medical students and residents will able to work in English, with translation available for the approximately twenty local languages that will be encountered.

Student Experience

Several American medical students and residents come to Baptist Medical Center each year. Clinical responsibilities will normally include outpatient clinic, inpatient care, obstetrics, pediatrics, and surgery. Visiting staff are encouraged to bring their own medical instruments. Students will normally take night call and be responsible for their own inpatients. Students are constantly under the guidance of a staff physician.

Previous Student Blogs:

Amara Sheppard & Albert Lai
Leah Chapin
Tanna Donalson
Janie Hemphill
Julie Myhren