The Korle Bu Teaching Hospital’s National Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Centre (NRPS & BC), in collaboration with Resurge and Canniesburn Glasgow Hospital, UK, conducted a one-week Postgraduate Diploma training for nurses in burns and plastic surgery.
The course director, Mr. Stuart Watson, led participants through online sessions from Glasgow.
The participants were also trained by Dr. Opoku Ware Ampomah, the co-course director and the director of NRPS & BC.
The course was designed to train nurses in specialized care for patients with burn injuries and those requiring reconstructive or plastic surgery.
Each day began with interactive lectures from experienced surgeons, burn specialists, and senior nurses covering critical topics such as wound management, skin grafting, infection control, surgical procedures, rehabilitation, pain management techniques, emergency care for burn patients, and psychological support for patients and families.
This training aimed to equip nurses with the requisite skills to provide high-quality patient care in hospitals, trauma centers, ICUs, and specialized burn units.
The course was also designed to enhance participants’ expertise in critical care and patient recovery.
Participants were divided into groups for effective training, case studies, and presentations.
Representatives from about 17 health facilities across West Africa took part in the course, including Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Tema General Hospital, Greater Accra Regional Hospital, UGMC, 37 Military Hospital, LEKMA, Cocoa Clinic, Nyaho Clinic, Ho Government Hospital, Kumasi South Hospital, Tamale Teaching Hospital, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, Winneba Trauma Hospital, Koforidua Hospital, Upper West Regional Hospital, and Manhyia Hospital, as well as participants from Connaught Teaching Hospital in Sierra Leone.
As the final certificates were handed out, there was a mix of excitement and a sense of responsibility, as these nurses were now equipped to return to their respective hospitals.
Participants from Sierra Leone expressed their joy and confirmed the great impact the course had on their careers—not just as caregivers, but as specialists in healing wounds, restoring hope, and changing lives.
Another participant from Ho Government Hospital also expressed his gratitude, stating that this marked the beginning of a deeper commitment to saving patients.
About 25 faculty members facilitated the training course, benefiting 73 students in the second and third cohorts of graduation.
The special guest of honor for the occasion, Mrs. Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo, President of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association, chaired the function and urged all participants to utilize the skills they had acquired.
In his closing remarks, the Director of the Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Centre encouraged the participants and advised them to strive to become great ambassadors in their healthcare facilities.
Dr. Ampomah added that every patient under their care should receive treatment with compassion and expertise, with the ultimate goal of giving them a second chance at life.
