Staffing a Northern Clinic in Ghana

By Martin Aseidu Dartey & Shawn Hayward, Citi FM, Ghana

 

For two years, the clinic in Dzogadze, Ghana, had not had a nurse on staff. The closest hospital is eight miles away on a dirt road that is impassable when it rains.

 

When jhr intern Shawn Hayward heard about this, he knew it was a story that needed to be covered—access to basic health care is a fundamental human right, and precisely the kind of work jhr is committed to doing in their overseas placements. He returned to his newsroom and produced the story with Citi FM reporter Martin Aseidu Dartey. What happened next was a welcome surprise. Having heard the story on Citi FM, Ghana Health Service posted two nurses at the Dzogadze clinic. For the first time in two years, residents can now receive health care in their very own community. “Martin is happy that his work has had a positive impact in people’s lives. I feel the same way,” said Hayward. “It feels really good to know that my work is having an effect on journalists here.” Listen to a short 2 minute clip of Martin’s feedback about the story here.