For the first month of my stay, I volunteered at the maternity ward of Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital in Mampong - Akuapem, Ghana. While I have never shadowed at a maternity ward in a Western country, I can only imagine that things are done somewhat differently. The sanitation is mostly non-existent: all the nurses wear flip flops, the scrubs are hang dried outside, bleaching floors and surfaces every so often is the only method of cleaning, and hands are not washed frequently. According to an article, the hospital has not been touched since 1998 and it definitely shows. However, despite the poor conditions, the maternity ward was filled with nurses and doctors who were doing their best to make a difference in the lives of their locals. Dr. Asare is the head doctor. He is Ghanaian, but was raised in various African countries and attended medical school as well as public health school in Europe. He is one of the few Ghanaians I ever heard of who left Ghana to get a fantastic education, but came back to make a difference in his home country. During my time at TQMH, I saw first hand how important it is to listen to your patients and show them you care, no matter how bad the circumstances may be. Making an effort truly does count for something. After four weeks, it became clear that patients could tell when the doctor and nurses were truly trying and were much more willing to be compliant despite the conditions.
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