Emergency and Anaesthetic Training
A Clear and Focused Mission
In May 2025, an Austrian anaesthesia team returned to Holy Family Hospital in Techiman. Familiar faces and long-standing partnerships made for a warm welcome and a quick return to the daily clinical routine. From the outset, the team focused its work around a clear goal: to combine direct clinical support with lasting improvements to the systems behind it — bridging hands-on training with system strengthening.
Regional Anaesthesia and Clinical Practice
A central focus of the mission was the practical introduction of regional anaesthesia techniques, taught hands-on with particular emphasis on ultrasound-guided nerve blocks. Special attention was given to hygiene protocols and the correct use of materials under resource-limited conditions.
Alongside the training, the team carried out a detailed evaluation of the operating-theatre setup. Gaps in workflow, hygiene routines and documentation were identified and discussed openly with local staff, and every recommendation was developed collaboratively, adapted to local realities, and aimed at improvements that are genuinely feasible. This dual approach — training combined with a careful review of the system — proved an effective model for future cooperation.
Facing Healthcare Realities in Ghana
The mission also meant confronting the harder realities of Ghana’s healthcare system. Many patients face financial barriers and lack access to essential treatment. Severe infections, untreated fractures and premature births often go without care because equipment or medication is missing, and even children sometimes endure pain without proper relief. Discussions with local staff made clear how little basic insurance covers — families frequently have to pay for critical care themselves, an overwhelming burden for many.
The team came away with a clear conviction: true support requires more than expertise. It requires understanding the systemic barriers and working within the limits of local realities — which is exactly what makes the combination of training and system strengthening so important for the work ahead.