REBUILD BRICK & MORTAR: A Better Future

Saving Lives

Emergency care access and delivery remain underdeveloped and most of the time non-existent in rural areas in Sub- Saharan Ghana. Most rural people walk long distances through the bush to reach motorized transport which is unavailable during the night. 30-50% of this rural population do not live within 2-h travel times of hospital services, a benchmark for access to emergency surgical and obstetric care (Ouma et al Lancet Global Health, 2015).

Strengthening of emergency care is a crucial step on the path to universal health coverage which is endorsed by WHO as \u201can essential part of integrated health-care delivery\u201d. The Disease Control Priorities Project estimates more than half of all deaths in low-income countries could be addressed through prehospital and facility-based emergency care systems.

Emergency Center
A light in the Dark

The medical center at Okorase will provide a 24-hour emergency care, for rural areas and villages that surround Okorase, Asuoya and Tinkong, population dense areas without emergency care access. People in need of emergency care, especially at night will not make it to the hospitals by foot. They need motorized transport.

Emergency care will include the urgent stabilization, diagnosis, and treatment of acute medical, surgical, and obstetrical conditions and their subsequent transport to Koforidua Hospital (nearest hospital) by ambulance if required.

The medical center will consist of accommodation for staff (local and international) and a medical clinic. The refurbishment of Benson House for accommodation for staff is currently in progress. The ministry of Health in Ghana will provide a paid staff of a Matron and nurses and doctors visits upon completion. (A matron is defined as the head nurse midwife trained for emergency health care and delivery and able to prescribe medication). Rotary Medical Supplies Network of Tulsa will provide the needed medical equipment for the center and for the refurbishment of surrounding rural clinics. International staff will visit on a rolling medical team basis to render medical services and provide training.