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Saturday, December 8, 2012

Accident victims, sick and hard of hearing children in Africa

Upon returning from leave, there were six children with aspirations or ingestion of foreign bodies which were successfully removed with endoscopes donated by Karl Storz Endoscopy.
Three weeks ago, two buses collided head on resulting in twenty six immediate deaths with a total of thirty. Speed, alcohol, drugs, reckless driving and fatigue are the causes of these preventable accidents which occur once every three months. We were able to save 25 victims. A bride of three weeks died within minutes of arriving at the hospital.
In November, the Starkey Hearing Foundation distributed 1,000 pairs of hearing aids to the children at the four northern schools for the deaf and to 200 Tamale Teaching Hospital patients. However, a follow up visit to two of the schools found five percent of the children with the wrong or broken aids, feedback problems, or with dead batteries.  A person will be properly trained and hired to visit these deaf children every two weeks to ensure that the aids are working properly. Some of the students are now exhibiting better speech.
Thanks to the generosity of many individuals, we are able to help those who are truly in need.
Today, 7 December, is Ghana’s election day, a holiday, and all Ghanaians are praying for a peaceful transfer of power.



 Foreign Bodies removed from the Lungs or Esophagus.


  Bus accident victims. A woman with bilateral rib fractures and frail chest in foreground.


Starkey Hearing Foundation distributing hearing aids to deaf children in Tamale.


New Tamale Teaching Hospital Building.


New Surgical Tamale Teaching Hospital Building.