Citation

Quansah R, Abantanga FA, Donkor P. Clin. Orthop. Relat. Res. 2008; 466(10): 2403-2412.

Affiliation

Department of Surgery, School of Medical Sciences, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 1934, Kumasi, Ghana. robertquansah@hotmail.com

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Springer)

DOI

10.1007/s11999-008-0401-6

PMID

18688692

PMCID

PMC2584316

Abstract

Increasingly, nonspecialist Ghanaian doctors in district hospitals are called upon to perform a variety of surgical procedures for which they have little or no training. They are also required to provide initial stabilization for the injured and, in some cases, provide definitive management where referral is not possible. Elsewhere continuing medical education courses in trauma have improved the delivery of trauma care. Development of such courses must meet the realities of a low-income country. The Department of Surgery, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology developed a week-long trauma continuing medical education course for doctors in rural districts. The course was introduced in 1997, and has been run annually since. The trauma course specifically addresses the critical issues of trauma care in Ghana. It has improved the knowledge base of doctors, as well as their self-reported process of trauma care. Through the process we have learned lessons that could help in the efforts to improve trauma training and trauma care in other low-income countries.

Language: en