SPECIAL REPORT: OPERATION HERNIA
TEAM NGH TRAVEL NEARLY 5,000 MILES TO SAVE LIVES IN GHANA F
or most of us, time off is a chance to relax and forget about the dayto-day stress of working life. For a team of dedicated health professionals from Northampton General Hospital, their holiday time has been spent providing care for patients nearly 5,000 miles away Ghana. From hernia operations and malaria treatments to teeth extractions and back pain, in a two week period a team of volunteers from Northampton were part of an international delegation which provided care for over 10,000 people in the Accra region. The multi-skilled team spent two weeks providing advice, treatments and surgery as part of the charitable organisation, Operation Hernia. Leading the NGH contingent, and on his seventh trip to the region, was consultant vascular surgeon Rob Hicks. He was joined by breast clinician Jo Inchley, Ted Hicks Rob and Jo’s son, surgical recovery nurse Melissa Frost, practice development nurse Ashley Gayton, specialist general surgeon Elke Von Haefton, general surgical registrar, David Hunter, specialist care dentist Neil Martin, consultant paediatrician Anne Smith, pharmacist Karin Start, and Nichola Blunt from Three Shires Hospital’s main theatres. Operation Hernia was founded upon the principle of providing access to healthcare for some of the poorest Ghanaian families. Hernias are commonplace in Ghana due to nutritional deficiencies, the focus on subsistence farming and the lack of access 14 ❘ Insight
to healthcare provision. If left untreated hernias can have a significant impact on the health of the individual and their ability to provide for their families who are dependent on their contribution. “The missions have been running for 10 years now and the surgical set-up gets upgraded each year. The hernia patients are listed from the previous year and are invited to come along each morning for their surgery. Most operations are performed under local anaesthetic but there is also a list each day for the more complicated procedures and the children’s operations.” Dr Jo Inchley
Pre-booked operations, some of which were planned a year in advance, were carried out alongside many other walk-in treatments. However the significance of the trip is not just the healthcare provided as the team also have a strong focus on training the surgeons and healthcare professionals in the region, leaving a legacy of good healthcare behind once they return home to England. Rob Hicks described the significance of the mission, the importance of healthcare across the world and the challenges of those who don’t have the same provisions we do in the UK: “The people of Northern Ghana have the same right to fresh water, food, education and healthcare as we do. Healthcare cannot be delivered in 2 weeks once a year, but it is so rewarding to see the improvements that have taken place in the region since I first visited in 2011.”
During the self-funded mission, the team delivered 297 life enhancing hernia operations. And for Rob the latest trip was made even more memorable than those of previous years by having his family close by: “It was a special privilege to have my wife and eldest son as part of the team, some colleagues who I have worked alongside for many years and some new recruits.” Summarising the trip Rob once again praised the huge effort of the team and the legacy that their generosity and kindness has left behind: “The NGH team really delivered the extraordinary. It really showed how the enthusiasm and passion for work was infective. Every member of the team of 67 was striving to do their best at all opportunities. Without exception there was always a ‘can do’ response. As a result as a team we outperformed all of our own expectations.” – Rob Hicks You can see photos and stories from the Ghana trip in this special four-page Insight feature.
Cancer specialist Dr Jo Inchley (centre) pictured with her husband, surgeon Rob Hicks and their son Ted