Medical Volunteer Project in Ghana

Volunteers in the Medical Healthcare program in Ghana work along with doctors, nurses and local staff in hospitals and community clinics in Tamale, Ghana. Volunteer tasks are determined depending on the volunteer’s qualifications, experience and knowledge. 

• Qualified doctors and nurses can carry full day to day treatment of various diseases. 
• Medical professionals and students can assist the doctors and nurses in their work and observe their work to gain knowledge and experience. 
• Qualified medical volunteers work in the areas of maternal health, mental health, surgery, laboratories, counseling and testing. Wound dressing under direct supervision of nursing staff. 
• Blood pressure, pulse and temperature measurements (if competent).
• Assist patients with activities such as getting them from one service point to another.
• Weighing patients, holding babies/adults to be weighed.
• General assistance to the medical staff wherever required, and wherever experience and expertise allow.
• Pre Medical students assist the local doctors and staff in doing basic tasks such as checking weight and temperature of the patients, cleaning wounds and also doing administrative tasks in the placement. 

Volunteering Solutions provide accommodation in Tamale with a local host family. The schedule for the volunteers remains as follows;

• Saturday - Arrival at Accra 
• Sunday - Transfer to Tamale + showing around the accommodation neighborhood 
• Monday - Orientation session will be conducted by the local coordinator, covering topic areas; such as safety, culture, language, places to visit, behavior, food, and other suggestion over things to do in Ghana.
• Tuesday to Fri - Volunteer work 
• Breakfast - 06:00 am onwards (provided at the accommodation)
• Working hours at the placement - 07:00 am to 01:00 pm and 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm
• Lunch - 02:00 pm to 03:00 pm (volunteers need to manage lunch on their own)
• Dinner - 06:30 pm to 07:30 pm (provided at the accommodation)

The same volunteer work schedule continues from the second week onwards 

Weekends - Explore the city and take short excursions trip to some of the best hotspots in and around Tamale, such as; Mole National Park, Monkey Sanctuary, Kintampo Falls. Learn about their elaborate festivals, the local cuisine comprising of Banku and Fufu - Ghana's most famous dishes, their colorful dresses, and the music and dances.

Note: Please note, the schedule may vary depending on the particular project the volunteer is participating on.

Volunteering Solutions strives to provide best of the living and other arrangements to its volunteers. Like we keep saying, just pack your bags and arrive at your placement destination. From your airport pickup, stay, meals, weekend tours and other nitty gritties, VolSol manages everything for you.

Airport Transfer

You will be met by our representative at Kotoka International Airport in Accra from where you are transferred to your project location. Volunteers will stay overnight in Accra at hotel accommodation provided by Volunteering Solutions and travel to Tamale the next day. For those volunteers who are arriving in Accra in the morning, you can also take a connecting flight to Tamale directly from Accra. You will be met at Tamale airport and transferred to your accommodation in that case.

Accommodation

Volunteers will be staying at a standard Ghanaian volunteer homestay managed by the local program coordinator. In case space is not available in the volunteer home, you will be accommodated with a Ghanaian Host family. Accommodation is either provided in an individual or shared room along with other volunteer. By staying with a family you will experience the local Ghanaian culture, language customs and traditions. There are separate rooms for male and female volunteers with shared toilet facilities. Participants should note that living is of basic standard and you should not expect luxuries. Power cuts are common in Ghana and most rural houses do not have running water during times of drought. Bedding is provided, however, volunteers need to bring their own towels and mosquito nets (these can also be purchased in Ghana). Air conditioning is available in the volunteer house and the participants need to pay the extra charge to avail the facility in the country.

Orientation

An orientation and briefing session will be provided by your local coordinator. Areas like culture, safety, locations, transportation are covered in the Orientation. After your orientation is over, you will be introduced to your project and also given a tour of the local market and town of Tamale.

Meals

Volunteers are provided with 2 meals (breakfast and dinner) at the host family house. Ghanaian cuisine consists primarily of starches, soups, beans, meat, and fish. The Starches consist mainly of rice and doughy balls made from mashed cassava, plantain or yams.  Famous Ghanaian dishes include Banku and Fufu.

Weekends

On the weekends you can head out to explore places such as Mole National Park and Monkey Sanctuary. Volunteers also visit Paga to visit Crocodile Park or further south to Cape Coast to enjoy the beaches. On weekdays, participants have free time in the evenings and spend time relaxing at their accommodation or socializing with other volunteers and the local people.