DAVS Projects: Rural Health

In Ghana, efforts are underway to improve the health sector, especially the health of women and children. High importance is placed on improving the quality of reproductive health services and on preventing and reducing the impact of widespread communicable diseases, bridging gaps that prevent efficient and effective delivery of health services, and fostering partnerships that lead to improved health in Ghana.

As part of our support to social economic development of the country, we have initiated a Rural Health Support Project to improve the health of the people. Through this project, we aim to increase access to basic healthcare for rural people, decrease the prevalence of endemic diseases and improve overall village health by providing public health services in all aspects of clinical nursing, with a primary health work with the community nurses and promote health education in the towns and villages.

Most of the hospitals and clinics in the small towns and rural communities are under resource, and understaffed due to the exodus of health professionals for greener pasture. This has resulted in the high demand for doctors, nurses and medical staffs to work in various department in the few hospitals and clinics in the country. There is a great need of efficient hands to help the doctors, nurses and medical staffs in treating the ever-growing number of patients in round the clock busy health centers and hospitals.

As a medical volunteer, you are sure to see the huge gulf between the standards of medical practice in the developed and developing worlds. You will be involved in the day-to-day running of hospitals and clinics, observing or directly assisting doctors and nurses. Your role as a Volunteer can range from observational to basic assistance, depending on your level of knowledge. You will be working with doctors, spending time in various departments of a busy hospital like Gynecology, Neurology, Orthopedics, Obstetrics, Pediatrics and Surgery. An important element of these placements is learning about healthcare practices in different cultures. You can help out in simple but practical ways, vastly increasing your own knowledge and understanding of medical practice.

On your first day at the internship or work, a staff of DAVS will introduce you to your supervisor and you will be given a work schedule. It is very important that you stick to your hours or give plenty of advanced notice if you wish to change them because from this moment on you will be part of a team. Your supervisor will be eager to know your skills and level of experience and what you will take on will be strongly influenced by this.

You have the opportunity to meet volunteers and interns around to meet up with, and our staff will arrange regular social events and even weekend trips for you to join in on.

Volunteer must have the proof of qualification as a health professional, medical student, doctor or nurse. Volunteers must have medical background to volunteer in this project.