A team of eight nurses and doctors from East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust this month made huge progress in helping to empower communities in Ghana.
Spread across eight days of volunteering, the team set up mobile medical clinics, community health worker training and launched a Global Brigades water project with their partners Lions Clubs International, a service club organisation that supports a range of good causes and projects locally and globally.
Dr Liam Barrett, Foundation Year 1 doctor and Chair of the UK entity of international NGO Global Brigades shared his thoughts on the recent visit: “The team were absolutely incredible! Within the district there is no doctor for 60,000 people. We treated and educated over 500 patients during their ‘Brigades’, which was just one step in the dual empowerment process. I am super excited to see more professionals involved in humanitarian efforts from the trust serving our local and international communities.”
With the aim of addressing health and economic needs in communities in Ghana, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama, Global Brigades is the largest student-led movement for global health. The organisation is active at 15 Universities in the UK, from Edinburgh to Exeter. As a new addition, the charity now welcomes UK professionals to volunteer.
Global Brigades UK will be holding information sessions for next year’s brigade soon. Anyone interested in finding out more should email liam.barrett@globalbrigades.org
“Next year, we want to expand the East Lancashire Hospitals team. We welcome nurses, doctors, pharmacists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, medical students and also non-clinical staff. Regardless of experience, you can play an integral role in empowering.
“It is truly incredible organisation to be involved in.”