Family Medicine / Polyclinic
About Family Medicine
Korle Bu Polyclinic is a 42 - bed facility that offers primary health care to the Korle Bu community, its environs and the city of Accra as a whole. It was established primarily to serve as a service delivery facility in the catchment area but has grown over the years into a sub-BMC under the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. |The department was accredited in the year 2003 by both the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons and the West African College of Physicians to train Family Physicians.
Korle Bu Polyclinic/Family Medicine Sub-BMC is the primary care provider of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. For several decades the polyclinic/Family Medicine Sub-BMC has provided services to numerous clients, as well as to KBTH staff and their dependants.
Overtime the skills mix has been diversified and the services rendered have been expanded. The quality of care given to patients has been upgraded and cadre of care providers includes Specialist Family Physicians and Consultants in addition to General practitioners.
Due to the varied nature of cases that present to us, the Polyclinic/Family Medicine Sub-BMC, management strives to maintain a conducive environment to enhance their treatment and well-being.
Vision
To become a centre of excellence for the training of Family physicians, nurses and other support staff in the practice of comprehensive, coordinated and continuing care for clients in the West African sub –region.
Mission Statement
To provide quality Primary Care Services to all persons irrespective of gender, creed and social status within available resources in an affordable and cost effective manner in the context of the family and the community.
Main Objectives
- To offer holistic patient- centered care
- To make patient safety and satisfaction key pillars of service delivery.
- To observe and adhere to the Patient Bill of Rights
- Focus on Human Resource Development
- To ensure prudent financial Management and utilization of resources
- To use modern and efficient equipment in the course of our work
- To facilitate research in the department.
- Expand ICT usage in service delivery at the department
Core Functions
Service
Korle bu Polyclinic/Family Medicine Sub BMC is a center for training family physicians in Greater Accra Region.
Family medicine, is an emerging field of medicine in Ghana and sub-Saharan African region. Family physicians by their training provide comprehensive and patient - centred care to all people regardless of their age, sex or disease condition and all our clients benefit from this.
All undiagnosed (undifferentiated) cases are in safe hands when they arrive. Should the need arise, a referral is made to the relevant specialty in the main hospital. We are mindful of the impact the family has on an individual’s health and we provide care for clients in the context of the family as well.
We also provide continuity of care to all clients and an appointment system is in place to proffer convenience. The palliative care team provides in- patient consultation to clients in all departments of the hospital and also provide home care to the terminally ill.
Teaching
Teaching occurs for all categories of staff; clinical and non-clinical. The cadre of clinical staff taught and who undergo tutelage in the polyclinic are: family medicine residents, post graduate nurses (palliative care nurses), medical students, nursing students, physician assistants, pharmacy residents and emergency medical technicians.
Non-clinical staff include staff on attachment such as administrative assistants, accounts clerks among others.
Research
Family physicians as part of their specialization engage in research activities and findings are expected to improve on the quality of care for our clients. Considering the diversity of clinical conditions that are managed in the polyclinic there is a wealth of data which medical students, clinicians from other departments and institutions routinely assess for research purposes.
Outreach and Advocacy
The polyclinic / Family medicine Sub BMC engages in a number of advocacy and outreach programmes.
Range of Clinical Services
- 24 hour emergency care
- Patient-centered Out Patient services (OPD)
- First level Eye care services
- Radiological Services (X-ray)
- Laboratory Services
- 24-Hour Pharmaceutical Services,
- Child immunization/ Welfare clinic, Health education (Public Health Unit)
- Korle Bu Staff Clinic
- Theatre Services (minor surgeries)
- ECG Services
Special Clinics
- Palliative Care – Tuesdays & Thursdays
- Geriatric clinic – Wednesday mornings
- Women clinic – Thursdays from 12 pm
- Asthma -- Fridays from 2pm
- Diabetes clinic – Friday mornings
- Chronic Care – Saturday mornings (strictly by timed appointment)
Support Units
- Records and Biostatistics Unit
- Satellite Pharmacy
- Satellite Laboratory
- Satellite Radiology(X’ray) unit
Statistics
Averagely 200 patients are seen per day: This comprises 40% new cases and 60% regular clients.
About 202 admissions are made per month. About 40, 75 and 88 patients to the children’s ward, male and female wards respectively.
Types of cases:
Our case mix is unique since we see clients form the ‘womb to the tomb’. Cases range from new born babies to cases pertaining to the reproductive age (pregnancy and its complications), to chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and their complications, surgical cases such as lumps, bumps and herniae, Asthma, Sickle cell disease, and Malaria, Chest infection, anaemia, to name a few. We also provide pre –employment medical examination, medical examination for schools and for travel documents. We provide screening for diseases such as cervical cancer.
Research & Clinical Activities
The Department does clinical audits into peculiar diagnoses and case presentations for learning purposes. Topics are developed on special interest areas such as Diabetes and other chronic conditions for research.
News & Events:
Institutional correspondence, news/ information emanating from the Central Administration is disseminated through notices to all staff. Those pertaining to our clients are also strategically posted for visibility to the general public.
Events and programmes have been designed by the Department and are structured for implementation as planned. One event which can be mentioned is the end of year staff durbars held annually at the Polyclinic during which staff that retired in the course of the year are honored.
We also organize outreach programmes such as Health screening, Health talks with some of the churches and perform medical examinations for institutions upon request.
Patient Education:
This is effectively done by clinicians on an individual basis and through health talks routinely delivered at the OPD daily by the Public Health Unit of the Department / Sub-BMC.
Faculty & Staff:
The Department has a staff strength of 347 comprising, Doctors, Nurses, Diagnostic staff, Pharmacists, Hospitality, and nonclinical staff attending to an average of 200 clients a day.
Our staff – Human Resource
The Department is staffed by the following
Consultants - 4
Specialists - 13
Residents - 29
Chief Medical Officers - 1
Deputy Chief Medical Officers - 1
Principal Medical Officers - 1
Senior Medical Officers - 1
Medical Officers - 9
DCNO - 2
The Sub- BMC Management team is made up of:
Dr. Priscilla Vandyck-Sey (Head of Department)
Mr. Seth Quaynor (Services Administrator)
Ms. Ayesha A. Boateng (Deputy Director of Nursing Services)
Mr. Benjamin Kumah (Accountant)
Mrs. Corquaye (Pharmacist)
Extended Management Members
Dr. Dora Egblewogbe (Clinical Care Coordinator)
Dr. Allen Steele-Dadzie (Training and Research Coordinator)
Consultants:
D.r Roberta Lamptey
Dr. Abena Amoatin-Agyeman
Dr. Akosua Opoku-Asare
Dr. Sampson Benneh
Dr. Angela N.A Barney
Dr. Maxwell Amoo
Dr. George Bediako Nketia
Dr. Priscilla Vandyck-Sey
Dr. David Nortey (visiting)
Dr Edwina Addo Opare- Lokko (visiting)
Dr Gerhard Ofori- Amankwah (visiting)
Specialists:
Dr Allen Steele- Dadzie
Dr Dora Egblewogbe
Dr Marian Opoku -Agyakwa
Dr Ayongo Annan
Dr Gordon Amoh
Dr Gloria Ani Asamoah
Dr Henrietta Ocran
Dr Joyce Ono Inoni
Dr Jacob Antwi –Osei
Support for the Polyclinic:
We welcome philanthropists and Organizations to show interest in assisting the Department with certain logistic and basic clinical tools and equipment for our work towards patient care. We are also open to partner organizations in community care. There is opportunity for potential partners to be apprised on key ongoing projects they may be interested to collaborate with the Polyclinic/ Family medicine Sub BMC to undertake.
Contact Us
You may contact the Korle Bu Polyclinic/ Family medicine Sub BMC through polyclinic@kbth.gov.gh or Call us on: +233 (302) 739510 / +233 - (243) 407809