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Ghana has a population of 22 million people, but there are only about 2,000 doctors there and that's not a good ratio to maintain adequate health care. That's where the University of Utah comes in.
It's not unusual for Gov. Jon Huntsman to begin his day at the mansion with an informal meeting with a group of people, but today's guests included some of Ghana's top health officials.
The delegation, along with members of the University of Utah's Physician Assistant Program wanted to update the governor on the progress of a 2-year collaboration that focuses on improving health care services in Ghana.
Since 2007, students from Utah have gone to Ghana and worked alongside medical personnel there. Nadia Miniclier, with the Physician Assistance Program at the University of Utah, said, "They're paired with a medical assistant, and the medical assistants see an average of 90 to 120 patients a day, every day of the week."
It's a win-win for both sides. Ghana gets extra medical help and training; the Utah students get valuable hands on experience. "It's an opportunity for education to be served and also for learning on our end on the clinical aspects," Miniclier said.
The students typically spend 3 weeks in Ghana, traveling to as many places as they can.
Ashitey said, "It's a very good program, and we hope that this collaboration will continue."
The University of Utah's Physician Assistant Program will expand its program next year in Ghana, focusing on women's health issues; specifically cervical cancer and breast cancer screening.
Currently, there aren't the resources for women to get screened for early detection.
E-mail: kmccord@ksl.com
