Tamale Teaching Hospital is a good hospital

Tamale Teaching Hospital is a good hospital. Newly appointed and recently trained physicians, pharmacists, laboratory technicians and administrative professionals have improved patient care. The new graduates are dedicated, knowledgeable and hard working. They are capable of working in the most sophisticated medical settings with the proper orientation and training. Their lectures at the hospital clinical meeting are excellent. Medications and bandages are available through the persistent efforts of the new caring, hard working and honest administrators. However, the staff is limited by the lack of equipment. In the hospital there is one electrocardiographic machine, three ward oximeters, no vaporizers or intravenous infusions pumps. Our otolaryngology clinic is lacking a pediatric nasopharyngoscope and bronchoscopes, laser, rigid telescopes for sinus surgery and suction debriders for nasal polypectomies. “One looks for what is needed and then one uses what is found” and “We are managing” are the appropriate practical Ghanaian sayings in response to this lack of equipment. Six Columbia St.Lukes/Roosevelt ultrasound physicians and public health professionals, under a General Electric grant, gave an excellent two day ultrasound workshop. Ultrasoundography is inexpensive, non-invasive and without complications. Two ultrasound machines were donated, which are appreciated, but thirty are needed along with maintenance for the five millions patients in northern Ghana. All is not Utopia. Human nature is universal and there are those who do not work when necessary, saying they are underpaid. But, we are managing.