Cribs: Pathology Overseas Ghana Edition

I have been busy at the hospital this week and have neglected my faithful online pathology fans. I thought I would write a little post for the future pathology overseas volunteers to let them see how we live day to day. The hospital provides us with a nice place to live and a driver to take us to and from work. The house is located in a small three house complex a few miles from the hospital. Some other physicians and hospital staff live in the other houses and a few small apartment like buildings are on the grounds for staff.

The inside of the house is very nice. The floor plan is very open and a light breeze generally cools after dark. Tile floors are present throughout the establishment and a uniform cream color is featured on all the walls. Through the front door you enter the main sitting room. The room is filled with nice furniture, an air conditioner if necessary, and a television that gets four local stations (All currently showing the Ghana Presidential debate). The strange box on the wall and the box on the floor are power conditioners to protect the more expensive equipment. The outlet power is generally good, but surges and brown outs are common. As you can see in the pictures, some of the volunteers have added a little art to the walls during their stay and I will probably leave a picture or two to brighten up my bedroom. A dining room is to the right of the living room and provides plenty of space if you wish to entertain a few guests.

Off of the dining room is a small kitchen with stove, refrigerator, water filter, and pantry.

Through the left door of the living room is a hallway that leads to the bathroom, shower, laundry, and two bedrooms.

The first bedroom on the left contains two double beds, an air conditioner if necessary, reading light and plenty of cabinet space.

The second room is slightly larger and holds a double bed, reading light, desk, fan, air conditioner if necessary, and plenty of cabinet space. The end of the hall has a rest room and to the left of the rest room are the shower, bath tub, and laundry.

I have had a good time here and I consider it home. I would not hesitate to volunteer again if my schedule permits and I would strongly recommend the experience to other physicians. The hospital really goes the extra mile (1.6 kilometer outside the US) to make the volunteers comfortable.