The UWR/Wa Project – Portable Ultrasound in UWR Ghana

SeeMore Imaging Canada has recently sold one of our portable ultrasound systems to an amazing team at the UWR/Wa Project, who have been campaigning to bring prenatal ultrasound to the upper west region of Ghana, where the child mortality rate is 5 times that of the United States or Canada.

Gifty Serbeh-Dunn and Michael Fountain are committed to reducing infant and maternal mortality in the upper west region of Ghana, where Gifty was born and raised, and are fundraising for $50,000 to take five ultrasound units and probes to the rural areas in Ghana, where the closest care facility can be up to a day’s journey away.

Supporting this project will provide public health professionals with the tools for comprehensive prenatal care: lightweight mobile transportation, a medical kit that includes portable ultrasound for the health practitioner delivering the service, and training in the use of the ultrasound probe at the Midwifery Training College for the Upper West Region at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Jirapa.  Using telemedicine, ultrasound images can then be interpreted by physicians at major healthcare centres.  Portable ultrasound provides detection of high-risk conditions, gestational age, and other vital information necessary for successful pregnancy and birth.  The use of portable ultrasound will transform health care in this region, with a drastic reduction in infant and maternal mortality.

On February 9th, the first probe, shipped from SeeMore Imaging, was received via FedEx.  As you can see in the image below, it was a very exciting delivery for the project!

The first test of the project was used with our

1. Prenatal Scans (21)

2. Pregnancy determinations (6)

3. Multiple pregnancy (1)

4. Ovarian Cyst (1)

5. Eptopic pregnancy (1)

6. Ruling out eptopic pregnancy (1)

7. Myoma (1)

The patient for whom a significant life threatening condition (ectopic pregnancy) was discovered was referred to WA General Hospital, where she received immediate treatment and is now doing well.  So it’s clear from just the test round, that this amazing project is already making significant progress and saving lives.

The next stage of the UWR/Wa Project is to fund a motorbike, which is needed to take the project mobile to travel to the remotest places, complete with the SeeMore ultrasound system.  The estimated cost of purchasing this motorbike is $1,200.

To show our support for such an important initiative, SeeMore Imaging Canada will match up to $600 in donations towards the cost of this motorbike for the UWR/Wa Project.  You can make donations via the “Donate” button on their website.

For ongoing updates, be sure to also like the project’s Facebook page (and watch the video of them opening their very first SeeMore Interson probe!)