Liz and I have just returned from another busy and hot week in Accra. As usual, everyone made us welcome and we were proud to see the unit working so well. Everyone was happily working together for the good of the patient. The 8 weeks that Amelia and Debbie spent on the unit was certainly evident and everyone spoke highly of their time there and misses them.
We took the opportunity to take slide-sheets and bedpans out to Ghana and whilst there we bought 2 wheeled commodes…. It was fun seeing Dorothy squeezed into a taxi with them to get back to the unit!! After much searching we have found a way of getting a new transfer aid out to Ghana, which will hopefully arrive at the end of June.
The main purpose of our week was to collect the final observational evidence and data to enable us to quantify the huge development which has taken place over the past 3 years. Ruth and Jude had the various spreadsheets prepared and 12 of the team received certificates and badges for completing all 8 competencies! This group includes nurses, doctors, physiotherapists, pharmacists and occupational therapists, which shows the true multi-disciplinary team work taking place within the stroke unit. Many other members of the team have so nearly completed their competencies ….. hopefully they will be signed off very soon. Please don’t forget!!!
Liz and I presented the team with a montage of photographs taken since 2014, which brought back lots of happy memories. Our final evening in Accra was spent at the Noble Chinese restaurant, where many an hour has previously been spent. As our visit was short, we did not have time to go to the beach, however we did manage 2 hours in the market, and returned back to Dean’s Guest House with no money!
It is sad to think that this could be our last visit to our friends at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. The grant has come to an end and the project plan is completed; thoughts must now turn to potential areas for further partnership, hopefully with the Ghanaian team taking the lead and the UK team supporting!
Good luck and thank you to everyone involved in the partnership, Sarah