Students committed to improving healthcare in Ghana
In addition to their studies at FHML, some students are also involved in voluntary initiatives. This is the case for the medical students Noëlle Flierman, Yente Jansen and Beau Mingels. They are active within the MUSTANGH Foundation, a student organisation dedicated to supporting St. Anne’s Hospital in Damongo, Ghana. Through lectures and fundraising initiatives, they raise money to improve healthcare there. At the same time, students in Maastricht learn more about global healthcare.
The MUSTANGH Foundation – Maastricht University Students Twinning a North Ghanaian Hospital – was founded in 2004 by two medical students from Maastricht. Their aim was to establish a strong collaboration between Maastricht University and a hospital in northern Ghana.
Collaboration
The foundation is still entirely run by students. It consists of a board of eight students and a committee that helps organise activities. St. Anne’s Hospital indicates where support is most needed, after which MUSTANGH looks at how it can help. This often involves funding training programmes for local healthcare staff, allowing knowledge and expertise within the hospital to continue developing.
For Noëlle, a second-year medical student and this year’s Tropical Block commissioner, her involvement began during a presentation in her first year of study. “I wanted to do something alongside my studies and have always been interested in development work and healthcare. MUSTANGH combines the two.”
The Tropical Block
One of the foundation’s most important activities is the Tropical Block: a series of ten lectures on tropical medicine and global healthcare. Specialists share their experiences with students from various FHML programmes.
Noëlle is organising the lectures this year. “We invite speakers who have experience working in tropical regions. It’s great to see that students from different years and programmes are interested in these topics.”
For Yente, a third-year medical student and chair of MUSTANGH, the Tropical Block was also her first introduction to the foundation. “What makes it special is that it’s a real collaboration. We support a hospital, but we also learn a great deal about global healthcare ourselves.”
Experience in Ghana
The collaboration with the hospital also offers students the opportunity to complete their clinical placements there. Beau, a sixth-year medical student and secretary of MUSTANGH, spent ten weeks on placement in Ghana. Her time on the maternity ward made a particular impression. “There, you see how important certain resources can be. Sometimes relatively simple equipment can make a real difference.”
During a caesarean section in which a newborn baby did not start breathing spontaneously, for example, a resuscitation bag was used – equipment that was available partly thanks to the support of MUSTANGH. “That’s when you realise how big the impact can be.”
It feels special that we, as students, can really make a difference.
Shared motivation
Despite their busy study schedules, they manage to combine their responsibilities well. What motivates them most is the tangible result of their work. “It feels special that we, as students, can really make a difference,” says Noëlle. “We learn a great deal about global healthcare ourselves, while also contributing to better care for people in Ghana.”
In recent years, several training programmes for healthcare staff have been funded, and the foundation is currently working on the construction of a new maternity ward at St. Anne’s Hospital. In a recent interview with RTV Maastricht, the students spoke more about this project and their commitment to improving healthcare in Ghana.
Fundraising activities
To finance its projects, MUSTANGH organises various fundraising activities throughout the year. Funds are raised through the Tropical Block, but also through sporting events and initiatives at the university.
One example is participation in the Groene Loper Run in Maastricht on 26 April. This fundraising campaign is organised in collaboration with Wilde Ganzen. During the so-called Wilde Week, from 10 to 17 April, donations are doubled, giving every contribution extra impact. Students also organise various initiatives at the university, such as sales events or collaborations with other student associations.
A second life
In addition to financial support, MUSTANGH also collects medical materials for the hospital. Many supplies that are discarded in the Netherlands can still be used in Ghana. Students who travel to Ghana for their clinical placements therefore often take suitcases filled with medical materials. “Here, many medical supplies are thrown away after a single use or once they have passed their expiration date,” says Beau. “But some materials are still perfectly usable. In Ghana, they can still be lifesaving.”
Text: Fleur Habers
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