Back in October, I informed Dr. Elisa Long and Dr. Elijah Paintsil that I was committed to a research project in Ghana regarding the cost-effectiveness of different therapy schedules for HIV-positive pregnant women. Soon thereafter, I also agreed to become a Unite For Sight volunteer, but the aforementioned research project that would eventually become my MPH internship has always been the core of how I would spend this summer. Getting to this week has been an extremely long process. In November, I began the arduous process of applying for the Wilbur G. Downs International Health Fellowship. After countless proposal revisions, a tense interview, and more complaining than my friends should have tolerated, I eventually received word that I was granted the fellowship. The fun didn’t end there – I still had to apply for IRB approval, deal with a too-close-for-comfort visa situation, and submit applications for further funding. A little over one month ago, I arrived in Ghana and began volunteering with Unite For Sight, but now it’s time to really get to work.
I was picked up by my advisor’s driver at 8 AM on Monday morning and we drove to Suntreso Government Hospital, where Dr. Agyarko-Poku is the director of the HIV/STI ward. He and I briefly discussed a timeline for the week and he informed me that he is also the personal physician to the king of the Ashanti region (the region in which Kumasi is located) and that we would visit the king’s palace while I am here. Pretty cool. I also have come to learn that I will not be reviewing charts at Komfo-Anyokye Teaching Hospital, but rather at Suntreso Government Hospital and Kumasi South Hospital. I was extremely worried about “hurdles” that I would encounter while doing research in Ghana. So far, this change of locations is the only real shift and I can definitely handle it!
I spent most of the morning getting an introduction to how patients “enter the system” at Suntreso Hospital from a really amazing data manager named Helena. Helena is also a Master’s student (her degree is in Health Informatics) and I can tell that she will be very helpful both with research and getting around Kumasi. In the afternoon, we went to Dr. Agyarko-Poku’s other offices. We briefly stopped at his office with the National AIDS Control Programme and then spent the rest of the time at the office for King Otumfuo Osei Tutu II’s Foundation, where Dr. Agyarko-Poku is the executive director. From the sounds of it, the hospitals will be my main headquarters for data extraction and then I’ll be doing most of my analysis and report writing at the Foundation office, which is in downtown Kumasi (known as “Adum” – pronounced “ah-DOOM”).
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| Suntreso Government Hospital |
Thursday I got a rare break in the day to visit the King’s Palace (Manhyia Palace) for an elder’s funeral. I was really out of place, as Dr. Agyarko-Poku did not tell me it was a funeral, so I was just wearing a striped polo and khakis. Every other person there was wearing a black robe. Whoops. Chalk that one up to “silly obruni”. The ceremony we went to was just one of many that will fill the elder’s week-long funeral. There were tons of members of the royal family there, as well as local governors and politicians. I saw some other obrunis and was confused at what they were doing there also….that is, until we returned the palace on Friday and I saw someone I knew! I ran into Ashley, a current Michigan student, and Michigan Marching Band tuba player! She is working with a group of fellow Wolverines doing a video editing project at the palace. Yet another random run-in in Ghana. This is getting too weird.
Friday marks the end of my “orientation” week and I am ecstatic to start data collection. I just need to start doing something that is related to my project.
Throughout the week I’ve come to really enjoy Kumasi. I have been able to walk around at night after getting home from work and try food from a few local vendors – mostly just chicken and rice, but I need to find the best chicken-and-rice place so I know my go-to dinner vendor! I also tried waakye at Suntreso on Wednesday. Waakye is basically just rice and beans mixed together – pretty delicious!
I also am overwhelmed by my living situation. I have great air conditioning, breakfast is made for me every morning, the shower is hot, the bed is comfortable, and the Internet is pretty incredible. I don’t really know how to feel about this. I had gotten so used to being surrounded by poverty while on Unite For Sight outreaches and now I’m staying in a room that normally costs as much for one night as some households make in a month. Plus, rather reliable Internet makes me feel almost too connected to the world.
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