One Week Left To Win A Midwifery Placement In The Heart Of Africa

Dec. 10, 2009 - PRLog -- Taking an elective in a developing country provides a huge learning curve for students. It allows them to learn and practice skills in a different environment, challenges perceptions of midwifery and opens their eyes to healthcare around the world.

Lois, a Work the World student in Ghana commented that:  “being a student trained in the UK, where we have the privilege of drugs and medical equipment, it's very difficult to accept that sometimes there really is nothing more you can do. You have to separate yourself from how you would manage an emergency in the UK and how you can physically and realistically manage it in a developing country”.

Omar Mohamed, Managing Director at Work the World commented “It may sound shocking to us, but giving birth in the presence of midwifes actually gives these women a benefit over others.

The World Health Organisation claim that over four million babies die a year in Ghana, all less than one month of age. And for each newborn, another baby is stillborn.

The government are pumping money in, but only 35% of women actually give birth supervised by a birth attendant and antenatal care barely exists. The risk of complications is far greater than that of the UK.  

We launched this competition so that one elective students could use their skills to help, but also take the opportunity to identify and treat complications that rarely crop up in the western world.”

Freddy Chakyi, one of Work the World’s African Programme Managers commented “students often come to me with some shock about what they see in the hospital.
It is very different - women must take their own sheets, they all give birth in one room and it is not possible for local anaesthetic when suturing or for episiotomy.

There are many complications and newborn babies are immediately taken from mothers to be placed in incubators. This is what it is like in Africa”.

Lois soon found that despite the challenging conditions, midwifery knowledge and skills can be used anywhere. Within 45 minutes of her induction she was helping deliver her first baby of the day, and many more followed. Though some were straightforward, many had complications such as postpartum haemorrhage, often due to anaemia and grand multiparity. “Some students may find it puts them off a career in healthcare, but I think most will think the opposite – it is eye-opening, but in a good way!”.

Lois has since gone on to write her dissertation on midwifery in Africa and hopes to return to Ghana when she has qualified.

Work the World is the UK’s leading provider of healthcare electives and professional placements overseas. With strong partnerships with universities, overseas hospitals and clinics, government authorities and NGOs, the Midwifery Programme in Ghana is part of a range of electives and placements offered in Africa, Asia and South America. To win the placement in Ghana, students must write a short 500 word article telling Work the World why they think they should be the one to win the award. The deadline for the competition is 20th December 2009 and the placement is available anytime during 2010.
                                                         
Notes to Editors

•Work the World  focus on providing safe, structured  placements tailored to individual clinical interests.  
•Work the World is a UK registered company. For more information visit http://www.worktheworld.co.uk
•WHO is the United Nations’ specialised agency for Health. It is an inter-governmental organisation and works in collaboration with its member states usually through the Ministries of Health. WHO’s objective is the attainment by all people of the highest possible level of health.
•WHO’s article on maternal mortality: http://www.who.int/countries/gha/news/2008/essential_newb...
•The cost of the two week placement offered as a prize includes all placement organisation, UK and overseas support, meals, accommodation and transport relating to the project. All other costs (flights, visas, travel insurance and socialising) are not included.  
•The competition deadline is 20th December 2010 and the prize must be taken during 2010.
•The competition is open to any student midwife as long as they have completed one year of a midwifery degree before they travel.
•Full competition details and entry terms and conditions are available at www.worktheworld.co.uk/competitions

Supporting information: Imagery, copy and student quotes can be provided. A copy of the release can also be forwarded as a word document

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Work the World is the UK’s leading provider of healthcare electives for UK and international students in Africa, Asia and South America. We tailor placements to match clinical interests, provide 24/7 support as well as full board and accommodation.