HOSPITAL staff are working to improve the treatment of stroke patients in Ghana.
Sarah Easton, Colleen Lloyd, Dr David Jarrett and Dr Claire Spice have joined other experts on five visits to the city of Accra since 2009 to help Ghanaian medics establish an organised stroke care system.
Now, a doctor, nurse and physiotherapist from Accra have come to Portsmouth to learn more.
Sarah, stroke pathway manager for Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, said: ‘The aim of this visit is to concentrate on key clinical skills, plus all aspects of the service from the emergency call through to returning home after a stroke. They will be able to share their experiences with their colleagues when they get back to Ghana.
‘Stroke is the second biggest killer in Accra and the fifth in Ghana.’
The scheme was inspired by Dr Spice, consultant physician in geriatric medicine, who worked in Ghana for two years.
She said: ‘It’s important to keep the momentum going.
‘Stroke is a major problem in Africa and Afro-Caribbean communities in the UK.
‘It’s been known for two decades that organised stroke care and stroke units improve the outcome for patients but there are no known organised stroke units in Africa and that is what the team are working towards in Ghana.’
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