The National Institute of Health Research, the Global Health Research Unit on Global Surgery and the Ghana Hub Research Dissemination on 29th August 2023, held a workshop in Sunyani, on Surgical Site Infections.

The Dean of the UDS School of Medicine, Prof. Stephen Tabiri and Dr. Dmitri Nepogodiev from the Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, UK, welcomed participants to the workshop. They took the opportunity to commend health facilities that participated in the FALCON and CHEETAH Trials for their collaboration. They said the collaboration generated evidence that shaped the surgical practice and improved surgical outcomes through behavioural change.

Guests from other health institutions included Dr. Kumi Kwabena, Deputy Director of Clinical Care, Bono Region, Mrs. Helena Agodzo, Deputy Director. Clinical Care, Bono East Region, Rev. Father John Bremini, Administrator St. Theresa’s Hospital, Nkoranza, Rev. Sister Reena V. John, Administrator, Berekum Holy Family Hospital, Dr. Martin Attu, Medical Director, Berekum Holy Family Hospital, Dr. Adinkra Kyeremeh, Director, Sunyani Municipal Hospital, Dr. Fred Adomako-Boateng, Director of Health Services, Bono East Region, and Dr. Solomon Fofie, Director, University of Health Services, University of Energy and Natural Resources.

The Bono Regional Health Director, Dr. Amo Kodie expressed appreciation that his region had been chosen to host the event. He welcomed all participants and requested their full participation. He cited the region's challenges in getting specialists to work in the Bono Regional Hospital, irrespective of the management's efforts and good working environment in Sunyani. He announced the plans of the Ministry of Health to convert the Bono Regional Hospital into a teaching hospital. He encouraged specialist doctors to consider joining the Bono Regional Hospital.

Prof. Tabiri who spoke on the topic, “Growing Future Leaders in Surgery through Research and Skills”, reiterated how clinical trials have contributed to shaping surgical practice, which had been relegated to the background locally and even, at the level of the World Health Organization. He shared the surgical fellowship opportunities that some Ghanaian surgeons had benefited from and the provision of equipment to train surgeons in laparoscopic surgery using the Hub and Spoke model pioneered by the NIHR GSU Ghana Hub, which has been adopted by the Ghana National Surgical, Obstetrics and Anaesthesia Plan (NSOAP).

This partnership is between the NIHR (University of Birmingham and University for Development Studies), the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, and the West Africa College of Surgeons aims to build a robust surgical capacity in Ghana.

The workshop featured other presentations on surgical site infections and its related health issues. The workshop was climaxed with presentation of citations to some individuals for the good work done so far.

The workshop gathered some two hundred and seventeen (217) health professionals participate in the training, comprising 46 doctors, 82 nurses, 18 anaesthetists, 48 administrators and policymakers, 23 physician assistants and one police officer. Thirteen (13) health facilities participated from three (3) regions of Ghana: Bono, Bono East and Ahafo regions.

Health facilities included Seventh Day Adventist Hospital, Sunyani (Bono Region), Kintampo South Hospital, Jema (Bono Region), St. Theresah’s Hospital, Nkoranza (Bono East Region), Holy Family Hospital Berekum (Bono East Region), Holy Family Hospital Techiman (Bono Region), Bono Regional Hospital Sunyani (Bono Region), Bono Municipal Hospital Sunyani (Bono Region), Ahafo Regional Hospital, Goaso (Ahafo Region), Gaoso Municipal Hospital, Goaso (Ahafo Region), Tain District Hospital, Tain (Bono Region), Sunyani west Municipal Hospital, Odumase-Kwatire (Bono Region), St. Mary’s Hospital, Drobo (Bono Region), St. John of God Hospital,  Duayaw Nkwanta (Ahafo Region) and the University of Energy and Natural Resources Health Directorate, Sunyani (Bono Region).

Story by:
Hamdan W. Amadu
(UDS Media)