Associate Professor at the Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Ghana, Professor Elsie A. B. Effah Kaufmann has disclosed that she has dedicated her one year sabbatical to join a team of experts to start the Department of Obstetrics and Prosthetics at the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS).
As an academic, one always gets the opportunity to take a year’s sabbatical after working for a period of six years and Professor Kaufmann decided to use her break to embark on this challenging adventure.
Speaking in an interview on Y 107.9 FM’s ‘Myd Morning Radio Show’ hosted by Rev Erskine, Professor Kaufmann shared, “I am using my sabbatical to do something very exciting. I am going over to UHAS where we are starting a new program and department called, the ‘Department of Obstetrics and Prosthetics”.
She noted that the department which will be the first in Ghana and the second in Africa will start training experts in the area because, “we don’t have any local training for them. In most of Africa, it is only Tanzania that has academic programs for Obstetricians and Prosthetists. If we are able to do this, it is going to be something new and exciting”.
Professor Kaufmann expressed her excitement for being part of the team as she loves to venture into unchartered territories, setting the pace for others.
The field of obstetrics thus deals with the wellbeing of the pregnant mother as well as the delivery and healthy outcome.
Obstetricians closely work with the paediatricians and neonatologists to deal with care of the newborn baby to reduce the chances of mortality and disease of the newborn.
While a prosthetist, is a healthcare professional who makes and fits artificial limbs (prostheses) for people with disabilities. This includes artificial legs and arms for people who have had amputations due to conditions such as cancer, diabetes, or injury.
By: Joel Sanco
