IRPS Ghana Project

Description

The International Reconstructive Plastic Surgery (Ghana) Project (IRPS) has established West Africa's first reconstructive plastic surgery and burns service in Ghana.

A 67 bed unit with 2 operating theatres based in Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana, was created by the IRPS and commissioned by Ghana's President in 1997.

Since operations commenced, the quality of life of thousands of African people suffering from deformity and disability resulting from burn injuries, tropical flesh eating diseases, accident and trauma and congenital conditions has been greatly improved.

The charity's main function is to provide training, equipment and medical facilities until an enduring, self-sustaining service is established through: a) intensively training Ghanaian surgeons, anaesthetists, therapists and nurses in for extended periods in the renowned Canniesburn Plastic Surgery Unit in Glasgow b) sending multidisciplinary teams of medical volunteers to Ghana to train, teach, and supervise hands-on surgery c) increasing the numbers and skills of anaesthetics available for reconstructive surgery in Ghana d) providing new medical equipment to enable skills and operational range to increase, e) providing shiploads of decommissioned UK NHS equipment and supplies annually for ongoing surgery, anaesthetics, recovery and rehabilitation.

Long term funding commitments have enabled us to create 5 teams of volunteer consultant plastic surgeons consultant anaesthetists, and specialist reconstructive physiotherapists, SLTs and nurses committed to visiting Ghana annually for the next 5 years.

The major long term objective of the IRPS is that RPS in Ghana will be self-sufficient and self sustaining around 2011. The number of skilled practitioners will have doubled, anaesthetists and therapists will have permanent positions in the PS units, outreach services throughout Ghana and beyond will have commenced, training will now be African to African including training doctors from throughout the West African Sub- region, and equipment currently being provided on an annual basis combined with surgical skills on a par with UK will permit operations of every complexity to be performed for the foreseeable future.

Another long term objective in planning is the establishment of West Africa's first highly specialised Burns and Trauma Treatment Centre in Accra in conjunction with the Ghana Reconstructive Plastic Surgery Units. Such a state of the art centre would be unique in and serve the entire sub region.

Shorter term objectives to achieve the main objective include: a) Planning 2 Pan African highly specialised training courses in Ghana in hand surgery and cleft lip and palate treatment b) Completing the development of a long term permanent training curriculum for present and future undergraduates and tying these in with visiting training teams from UK c) Identifying suitable candidates for intensive training from 2007 - 2011 and encouraging and nurturing the most promising prospects. d) Helping create 2 permanent physiotherapist positions in the Accra unit, and doing so in liaison with senior UK plastic surgery therapy specialisst. e) Advancing the quality and quantity of anaesthetic availability in the plastic surgery units by a specific training programme assisted and monitored by consultant UK anaesthetists. This includes training courses for Ghanaian anaesthetists in UK.

 

Areas of Activity

Africa

Contact

Allan R Burns
IRPS Ghana Project
Fassifern
10 Barrhill Crescent
Kilbarchan
Renfrewshire
PA10 2EU

Tel: 01505 702916

www.plasticsurgeryafrica.org/

Staff

Scotland: 1

Outside Scotland: 1

Volunteers

Scotland: 15

Outside Scotland: 5

Funders

Grant-giving trusts, Scottish Executive, British Association of Plastic Surgeons, individual donations and events

Membership Type

Member

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