An exclusive look at the daily life of Dr. William Gudu of the Bongo District Hospital in Northern Ghana Dr. William Gudu works with non-profit Ghana Medical Help to improve Ghanaian healthcare. Dr. William Gudu’s operating room is actually a small dental ward. In northern Ghana, you make do with what you have. Facilities are poor, equipment is limited, and the climate can be brutal. Dr. Gudu is the only doctor there, and as such he is responsible for a patient population of more than 88,000. This doesn’t include an undisclosed number of patients from neighboring Burkina Faso. Despite these challenges, Dr. Gudu’s focus has never wavered from healthcare. “When I was a kid, I said to myself, Either I will get into medicine or die,” says Dr. Gudu. Where he comes from, they call this mentality ‘Medico or suicide’. It is a particular brand of persistence that Dr. Gudu carries with him today. On March 16, 2016, Dr. Gudu hosted Figure 1 Grand Rounds and answered questions live for 500,000+ healthcare professionals on Figure 1. Here are some highlights. When the ideal equipment isn’t available, improvise This is Dr. Gudu’s original operating room. It burned down in 2013. He currently operates out of a small dental ward. Undeterred by the limited medical equipment, Dr. Gudu devises unorthodox applications for existing supplies. When performing a pleural tap—an invasive procedure that removes fluid or air from between the lungs—he pieces together a urine bag, IV line, and hollow needle. But ingenuity only takes Dr. Gudu so far. Bongo District Hospital faces frequent blackouts, and there are times when he’s had to choose between power for surgery and IV fluid for patients. “[I’ve lost patients] because of inadequate supplies,” says Dr. Gudu. “It can be very discouraging. I stay positive for the fact that I am able to save a lot of people who could have otherwise died.” When you don’t know a technique, you learn on the job A nurse holds the anesthetist’s stethoscope in place during a cesarean section because it is too worn to stay in his ear by itself. The lack of medical specialists in Bongo means that healthcare professionals are often stretched beyond the limits of their practice. “For instance, I’ve had [patients with] uterine ruptures [that could not have survived a transfer] to a specialist in the regional capital,” says Dr. Gudu, who was not trained in obstetrics. “We are forced to repair it, and have done so successfully.” Of course, no great physician stands alone. Much of Dr. Gudu’s success is shared with his team. “The people I work with are my brothers and sisters. We are family,” he says. “We work as one and rely on our cellphone communication network to beat time and refer patients from sub-district health centres.” Together, he and his team work around Bongo District Hospital’s frequent blackouts by using whatever they can as light sources. Though there is a standby generator, they often cannot afford the fuel and limit the usage to life-threatening situations. In other cases, they use lamps, pen lights — whatever they can find. “The education is working” Slow but sure progress is improving Ghanaian life. The religious practice of female genital mutilation (FGM), for instance, has decreased thanks to a concerted effort from Dr. Gudu and the non-profit organization, Ghana Medical Help. “Health education in the community churches was the primary method of decreasing FGM,” says Dr. Gudu. “The education highlighted the negative effects, especially in child birth. Yes, there was resistance, and there is still secret practice of the technique. But we are not seeing it in very young children anymore, so the education is working.” “Prepare your mind before you begin” In 2015, Dr. William Gudu (left) completed 627 surgical procedures in this small dental ward. Though healthcare professionals around the world face different challenges, there are certain universal threads that bind them together. For instance, Dr. Gudu knows what it’s like to spend time away from his family. “Sometimes I get ready to go and visit my family who live a 10-hour drive away, and I have to cancel on them because of a hospital emergency,” says Dr. Gudu. Accustoming oneself to sacrifice is a must for most healthcare professionals. “If you do not prepare your mind before you begin, you will not succeed. Do not be easily frustrated when you face challenges at work,” says Dr. Gudu. Source
