The participants in a group photo after the training
The German Heart Center and the Charite University Hospital, Berlin, have organized a training course for eight cardiology physicians from Ghana.
The doctors, selected from the Korle Bu and Cape Coast Teaching Hospitals, participated in the special echocardiography course (TEE- Transesoohageal echocardiography) dubbed, ‘AfroEcho Course Berlin 2021’, from 4th-7th November, 2021.
The master class forms part of the capacity building programme for doctors in cardiology services by the two institutions.
Professor Charles Yankah, President of PASCaTS/Global Heart Care (GHC) and organizer of the program, said the training has the overall goal of populating the West African region with cardiology and echocardiography services and developing resilience in cardiovascular healthcare in Ghana for future health crisis.
He explained that, “TEE is a diagnostic telescopic test using an ultrasound probe that is passed into the esophagus of the patient and placed at the level to the heart to obtain a high resolution image of the heart structures and muscle,” he said.
Professor Yankah who is also the Director of Cardiac Surgery Simulation Training & Humanitarian Cardiac Surgery said the course was conducted under strict Covid-19 hygiene regulations and controlled environment.
Prior to this course, Prof. Yankah has hosted a group of African heart surgeons for up-skilling training in reconstruction of new heart valves using patients own tissue to replace his diseased heart valves as well as other complex heart procedures which are performed in India or South Africa.
Prof. Alfred Doku, Head of Department, Adult Cardiology, KBTH said the echo course in Berlin is a great motivation to the young cardiology trainees.
He said the course has far reaching impact on cardiology services to the underserved communities in various regions of Ghana to help achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri