Two non-governmental organisations have come together to address the healthcare needs of the Adaklu District in the Volta Region.
Give Right Foundation, based in the United States of America, and Friends of Adaklu, based in Ghana, have initiated a pilot project to provide ultrasound scan services in the deprived district.
The district, with a population of over 40,000 residents, relies on 18 health facilities but only one of them provides ultrasound services. This scarcity of ultrasound services makes it difficult for pregnant women to access complete antenatal care services.
To address this challenge, the two organisations collaborated to provide a handheld ultrasound device to help pregnant women in the Adaklu District access the vital scan services they need. This new technology is paired with a tablet, serving as a display screen for the ultrasound images, making it easier for healthcare workers to provide this essential service.
The Country Director of Friends of Adaklu, Madam Stella Kudah, has assured stakeholders that the organisation will continue to expand ultrasound services within the health facilities in Adaklu District and beyond in partnership with Give Right Foundation.
During the training, midwives and nurses at the Evangelical Presbyterian Mini Health Centre in Adaklu Waya were trained on the use of the ultrasound machine, covering areas such as number of gestations, fetal viability, placentation (previa), estimation of delivery date, and recognition of fetal structures.
A Co-Founder of the Give Right Foundation, Frederik Heath, has expressed optimism about the project’s potential to change the healthcare delivery narrative in the district. He emphasized the importance of the ultrasound device in guiding women through their pregnancy journeys and providing them with the best possible care.
Furthermore, Dr. Wilson Agbavor, a gynecologist at Fountain Medical Services, and Swallah Alhaji Suraka, a Consultant Sonographer and Assistant Lecturer at the University of Health and Allied Sciences, UHAS, will further enhance service delivery by providing interpretation and capacity building support for the health workers in the district.
The introduction of the Butterfly handheld ultrasound device comes as a game-changer for the district’s residents, and there are hopes that it could be extended to other health facilities in the Adaklu District. This initiative is a significant step towards achieving universal health coverage and improving maternal health in the region.
