As a Medical volunteer you can help in small clinics in under-resourced, rural areas and with a mobile care outreach service. You should expect to be working with limited resources, and understand that the healthcare environment you’re volunteering in will be different to what you’re used to.

Volunteer duties will depend on your experience and how much time you’re spending on your program. Longer term and qualified volunteers are more likely to have hands-on tasks, though this should not be expected. Initially at least, your tasks are likely to be mostly observational or administrative. Outreach clinics are more hands-on than clinic-based volunteering.

You will need to provide a copy of your qualifications, or a letter and transcript from your school to the local team in Ghana on arrival.

The Medical Care Project is split up into the following main areas:

Provide medical treatment on community outreaches

Our outreaches provide vital medical treatment to people in rural communities who would otherwise not have access to healthcare. Working alongside local staff, you’ll treat wounds and ringworm to prevent infections. You will also test suspected cases of malaria or Hepatitis B, and refer patients on for further treatment when necessary.

Non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and diabetes are on the rise in Ghana due to lifestyle and diet changes. It is important to screen for these illnesses by taking measurements and testing vital signs such as blood pressure levels in order to detect undiagnosed cases. The supervising nurse or doctor will then provide referrals if the patients need further intervention.

Assist local staff at child welfare clinics

At child welfare clinics, you’ll weigh and measure infants as part of their health screenings. Here you will work alongside the local public health department staff. You will also provide advice to parents in terms of maternal and child nutrition, to promote the healthy development of children in rural areas.

Raise awareness around key healthcare issues

Educating the local community about key healthcare issues is an important part of your internship. Promoting awareness is the best way to ensure the prevention of avoidable diseases. You will give presentations at local schools or community centers.

These talks will focus on the importance of healthier lifestyle choices such as exercise and an improved diet as a means of preventing non-communicable diseases. You’ll also demonstrate good hygiene practices to prevent the spread of infectious diseases such as cholera. Malaria is also a big problem in Ghana, so people need to be aware of prevention methods and the importance of early treatment.

Impact of this Project

There are two aims of this project: to provide basic yet vital healthcare services to those in disadvantaged communities, and to help you develop your skills.

You’ll learn from local medical professionals and find out how to treat various medical ailments in a more rural setting. It’s also the perfect time to gain invaluable public health work experience while you’re interning in Ghana.

What’s more, you will help to improve access to basic healthcare for disadvantaged groups of people. Many of those who are poor or live in rural areas cannot afford obtain medical services. Volunteers provide much-needed screenings, minor treatment and referrals, under the supervision of local medical staff.

There are a number of healthcare issues in Ghana. Malaria remains a leading cause of death, and non-communicable diseases like diabetes and hypertension are on the rise. We are focusing on preventing these diseases by raising awareness of the causes and the importance of treatment.

We have identified a number of key healthcare issues to focus on in Ghana. Apart from providing medical care to those who would otherwise not have access to it, we also plan to:

- Reduce the number of cases of malaria

- Raise awareness about non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and heart disease

On this project, you will usually work from Monday to Friday, with weekends off to travel and relax. Your working hours will typically be from 8am - 2pm. However, the finishing time may depend on the activities of the day.

In the morning, you will go on medical outreaches to surrounding villages, which take place in schools, care centers, community centers, and churches. Here you will get involved in everything from general medical screenings, to wound cleaning and treatment of ringworm.

Education and awareness of medical issues is also an important part of this project. You can expect to present educational talks about first aid, or demonstrate hygiene best practices at a local school.

We recommend using your time in the afternoons to prepare presentations and education materials. You will also work on uploading information about the outreach to the Database. This helps to keep track of progress, monitor the status of communities, and follow-up on patients.

At the end of the day, spend some time getting to know your host family over a delicious dinner. Share your experiences with fellow interns, making new friends at a local bar or restaurant. Travel to the capital if you’re in the mood for a more cosmopolitan setting, or explore the natural wonders that Ghana has to offer.

Please note this schedule can vary depending on your project and placement.

Weekends

During the weekends, volunteers have spare time and usually just relax or take the opportunity to discover the brilliant colors, music, food, fashion, history and nature that combine to make Ghana a true feast for the senses. Organise a trip with other volunteers, or just relax and explore on your own.

Head to the capital city of Accra, if your project is away from the city, to see markets, museums and live music, or take a trip to Cape Coast and Elmina where you’ll find the Elmina Slave Castle - the first trading post built South of the Sahara - and pretty, palm-lined beaches where you can relax in the sun. 

You will arrive in Ghana at Accra Airport (ACC). Most volunteers fly into Ghana in the evening. As you disembark, the first thing that you’ll notice is the humidity. You will walk across the tarmac to the arrivals building and pass through immigration control to the baggage reclaim area. Once you have your luggage, you need to go through customs. Be ready to have your bags opened by security staff as this is done routinely even when you go through the "nothing to declare" channel.

As you walk out of the airport building, you will be met by a wall of people on the other side of a barrier. It might seem overwhelming at first, but one of our staff members will be there to meet you with a Helping Hand Ghana Placard. Seeing a friendly face there to welcome you and take you to your accommodation will immediately put you at ease.

As soon as you land in Accra, usually on Sundays, you will be met by our partners and brought to the hostel. Within the next two days you will get to know Ghana and its culture through initial information workshops and activities.

The main aim of this orientation is to help you get used to the local conditions and the heat. You will also receive important information on the topics of health, money, safety, food, customs, work and travel - and maybe you will learn a little "Twi" or another Ghanaian language.

On Tuesday you will travel to your place of work and will receive another orientation event there over the next three days as well as an introduction to the community and the upcoming project work. .

Accommodation is included in the program. First you will be accommodated in Accra in a shared room in the hostel with half board. During the volunteer work you either live with a host family (with breakfast and dinner;or in the volunteer house with half board during the week and full board at the weekend.

In the volunteer house you share a room with two or three other volunteers. The volunteer house is equipped with a kitchen, shared bathroom, fan and mosquito nets. Sometimes the project also offers overnight accommodation.You can specify your accommodation preferences when booking. We try to take your wishes into account, but there are not volunteer houses in all locations.

There is WiFi access available at local cafes and restaurants in a nearby village, which is a 15 to 20 minute walk from the volunteer accommodation. You can also purchase a local SIM card with data for an unlocked mobile phone to keep connected.

Volunteers are provided with 3 meals at the host family's accommodation. Ghanaian cuisine consists primarily of starches, soups, beans, meat, and fish.

The Starches consist mainly of rice and doughy balls made from mashed cassava, plantain or yams.  Famous Ghanaian dishes include Banku and Fufu. Participants are given a mix of local and western meals.

Volunteering in Ghana is an ideal way to explore this colourful West African country. There’s a huge variety of different activities to do while you’re there, giving you plenty of exciting ways to spend your free time.

Music is a central part of Ghanaian culture. In the bigger towns, especially Accra, you will hear some great live bands and have some memorable nights out. Evenings spent at buzzing restaurants will also give you a taste of some of the delicious local cuisine.

For a look into Ghana’s history, you can tour the slave forts of Cape Coast and visit museums. Nature lovers will relish trekking through Shai Hills, Kakum National Park or Mole National Park. You can explore the country solo or connect with other volunteers and travel as a group.