UHDB Consultant returns to Ghana for inspirational charity work
A Consultant Surgeon has returned to Ghana to carry out more charity work on behalf of Humanity First UK (HFUK) after first visiting the country back in June 2022.
Mr Azher Siddiq, a Consultant Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Surgeon based at Queen's Hospital Burton, is returning to the same hospital and region as his last visit (Wa Municipal Hospital, in the Upper West Region of Ghana), alongside consultant colleagues from across the UK - bringing with them a range of modern equipment and expertise to help train medical staff who are based there.
HFUK is an international charity and non-governmental organisation responsible for the provision of various charitable and medical projects in at least ten developing nations, primarily in Africa.
Find out more about Mr Siddiq's first visit to Ghana in 2022 >
Mr Siddiq said that his last trip went "very well", thanks in no small part due to equipment, such as syringe drivers and drip stands, donated from across UHDB.
He also said he felt an "obligation" to return to the country after his previous visits, knowing how valuable the equipment and expertise - which we may take for granted in the UK - is for those in the region. He continued:
"Once you touch down in a place like this, and get involved in the provision of care, you see the need and just can't let go of that feeling of wanting to help. I was not really prepared for the level of poverty that I witnessed when I first came here and the effect this has had on me is to only determine me further to make a difference in this area.
"For people who live in the Upper West Region of Ghana and require medical care, the chance of seeing half a dozen highly experienced UK consultants with up-to-date medical equipment is, ordinarily, almost zero. We see first-hand the impact our care has.
"Not only this, we want to help them longer-term with things that will positively impact healthcare in the region long after our visit - helping to improve their care through new policies, pathways, digital improvements, and management structures."
This aspect of his visit is what Mr Siddiq terms 'capacity building', which enables Ghana's healthcare system to provide a higher level of service than what is currently available through training, education and the donation of new equipment.
Mr Siddiq explained: "We also organised a 'gift of sight' programme on this visit - where we provided simple, but life changing surgery and eye operations through money donated to HFUK. In addition, we helped with children's healthcare, and education on how people should look after themselves during pregnancy.
"All of this may seem simple, or what you may expect through healthcare at home, but it has a transformative effect on people here - and we are helping with 'capacity building' to make sure that our work continues to have that effect even after we've left the country.
"When you're able to deliver this exceptional care to people who are deeply in need, and who otherwise wouldn't have been able to access it, it feels like magic."
You can follow Mr Siddiq's work on his Twitter page (opens in new window) >
You can learn more about Humanity First UK and donate to their work here (opens in new window) >