The School of Medical Sciences, KNUST, established in 1975, indicated its educational orientation to a community-based and community-oriented system using the problem-based learning approach. Falling victim to the phenomenon of brain-drain, the School developed a postgraduate medical curriculum which takes into account the needs and demands of national governments and communities for quality specialist care and equitable distribution of existing health facilities. There is an innovative community-based fourth year for obstetrics and gynaecology, ophthalmology, otorhinolaryngology, paediatrics, surgery and medicine. After attainment of the Part I Examination, residents are sent to Ulm, Maastricht, Britain and the United States for clinical attachments for a period of 3 to 6 months before returning to sit for their Final Part II for the Fellowship of the West African College of Surgeons or Physicians (FWACS, FWACP). By ensuring that the Final Examinations take place after the elective attachment, none of the new breed of specialists so far produced has been lost to the Western world. The strengths and weaknesses of the programme are discussed.
Three cases are reported of children in Ghana with pneumococcal meningitis and differing degrees of hearing loss. The children were examined up to 12 d after admission by means of otoacoustic emissions. The technique is objective, non-invasive, quick (< 5 min per ear) and suitable for use in paediatric wards.
Meningitis is one of the infective disorders which can complicate with hearing loss. This study evaluates the incidence of hearing loss in patients who had suffered from a bacterial meningitis infection. The aim of this study was to find out the incidence rate of hearing loss in patients after recovering from meningitis. Some patients who were admitted, diagnosed and managed as cases of bacterial meningitis from the medical and the children's wards of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital were recruited to participate in this study after they had been discharged. These patients underwent a hearing assessment using a pure tone audiometer. These patients who survived meningitis were aged between (8-62) years with a mean age of 32.1 years. Of the 58 patients evaluated 12 (20.7%) presented with a sensorineural hearing loss. 6.9% of the patients presented with a mild hearing loss, 8.7% with a moderate hearing loss, 1.7% with a severe hearing loss whereas the remaining 3.4% presented with a profound hearing loss. This study showed that patients who suffered from meningitis infection may develop hearing loss.
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