Dr. Francis Abantanga, MD, Pediatric Surgeon, PhD, FWACS, FGCS, Head of the Department of Surgery and Dean of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University for Development Studies in Tamale, Ghana, recently addressed University of Utah Health Sciences faculty, staff and students about the delivery of care to patients through ApriDec, an NGO which Dr. Abantanga founded and oversees.
ApriDec is a volunteer Medical Outreach Group established in 2010 by health professionals concerned about health challenges facing the people of three regions in northern Ghana. Over the years the number of patients treated by ApriDec has grown tremendously. News of ApriDec’s medical visits to rural parts of Ghana every April and December (the weeks before the Christmas and Easter holidays), are broadcast via radio, local public broadcasting stations and word of mouth.
ApriDec volunteers provide surgical and medical consultations, radio interviews and community discussions on healthy living and lifestyle, as well as all levels of medical treatment, from preventive screenings for diabetes and cancers, to emergent surgeries. The group is a welcome sight for the communities in the northern regions. Because of the extreme shortage of trained medical professionals (nearly 1 doctor for every 10,000 Ghanaians) and no specialists of any kind, ApriDec focuses much of its efforts on training local residents and health workers. The organization is committed to taking specialist healthcare to people in the northern regions where it is either nonexistent or difficult to access. Presentation slides here.