Dr. Prosper Moh, an Orthopedic Surgeon from the St. John of God Hospital in Duayaw-Nkwanta in the Tano North Municipality of the Ahafo Region, has provided over 600 Outpatient Department (OPD) services to patients at the St Theresa’s Hospital here in Nandom in the Upper West Region.
Out of this number, 37 patients were operated on within six days. Others were treated and discharged whereas those not ready for surgery were rescheduled for another time because they sighted farm work as a reason.
“I operated twice a week and that is six times within three weeks. When I am not operating, I am in the OPD attending to patients” said Dr. Moh
“Orthopedic is my passion and when I practice my passion, I feel I have rested because I use my leave period to come home to help my people and this is satisfying. What can do? What I do best is to restore people and give them more function and ability to walk” Dr. Moh explained.
Asked what motivated him to carry out free and voluntary specialized services to people in remote and deprived areas, Dr Moh said, “When I see a child or anyone not walking well, I become concerned and want to know why and if the person can walk with some help. I never want to see a child or anyone in a wheelchair. The wheelchair should be the last resort. That has been my motivation since then.”
“I started orthopaedics when polio cases were common. We had lots of cases of polio and that is how I started my orthopaedics service at Duayaw-Nkwanta. Pediatric Orthopedics is my hobby. We have a club foot programme and I am currently the medical director for the Ghana Club Foot Programme. I have been training a lot of doctors and physiotherapists on how to treat children with club foot.”
Following the announcement of the availability of orthopaedic service at St Theresa’s Hospital from the 9th – 27th of September 2024, many people from across the country trooped into the hospital to seek medical care.
Mr. Evans Abonsah, from the Nanumba South District in the Northern Region, praised Dr Moh for his service.
“I had a dislocation while playing football several years ago as a teenager. I am in my late 40s now and when a brother told me about the visit of this doctor, I had no reason to not come and see him. I happy I came” he said.
“Any cost patients paid for are mostly top-up payments made to the hospital. The National Health Insurance covers the surgery except in cases where they need to make a top-up.”
Dr. Moh, however, lamented the situation whereby patients have to travel to Wa to take X-rays since the one at St Theresa’s Hospital has become obsolete.
“The x-ray has a life span and it has outlived its usefulness. We are appealing to the general public to come to the aid of the hospital” he concluded.
Dr. Prosper Moh is a native of Nandom.
