Evolution of First National Echocardiography Training Centre in Ghana
History
Evolution of First National Echocardiography Training Centre in Ghana
The Centre, the first of its kind in the country was inaugurated on 31st May 2019 at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital in Central Region. It is designed to improve screening of newborn babies, children and adults with congenital heart diseases with the aim of bringing under-served communities to a stage of early diagnosis and proper treatment of their heart diseases to control the high rate of cardiac death in the region.
PASCaTS responded in 2018 to the acute situation in cardiology services in Ghana (Tables 1 and 2) by organizing training programs in echocardiography to improve echocardiographic diagnostic services that will provide efficient perioperative care of cardiac patients. PASCaTS exploited its national and international network by mobilizing paediatric and adult cardiologists/mentors from Berlin, Coswig, Thueringen, Erlangen, Germany, Durban, South Africa and Nairobi, Kenya in collaboration with German Heart Centre Berlin to train local physicians from the regions of Ghana in echocardiography.
Professor Charles Yankah, a Ghanaian Heart Surgeon at the German Heart Centre Berlin and Director of the Echocardiography & CVD Centre at the CCTH, thanked his dedicated heart team from Berlin, Germany and Durban, South Africa, local team at CCTH, National Coordinator and Edwards Lifesciences Foundation, USA for the generous sponsorship. He explained that the huge number of neonatal deaths associated with undiagnosed Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) necessitated the establishment of the centre. He called on the CCTH to create, upgrade and develop intensive care and digital health programs to be added to echo diagnostics program for the comprehensive treatment of patients with heart diseases.
Dr. Eric Kofi Ngyedu, Ag. Chief Executive Officer (Ag. CEO) of the CCTH mentioned that a total of thirteen health professionals have been trained in Echocardiography through the partnership between December last year and May this year.
Ref.:https://www.businessghana.com/site/news/General/188694/CCTH-gets-Echocardiography-training-centre
Dr. Eric Kofi Ngyedu, Ag. Chief Executive Officer (Ag. CEO) of the CCTH mentioned that a total of thirteen health professionals have been trained in Echocardiography through the partnership between December last year and May this year.