Our mission at the Natembea Health Centre is to ensure high quality health care service for the entire Ashesi Community through: health maintenance, management, prevention of disease and community empowerment through health education and counseling. The health centre primarily attends to first aid. The centre refers more serious medical problems to a nearby clinic. Emergencies are referred to the military hospital. The health centre also monitors the campus cafeterias to ensure food safety and quality.
The university strongly recommends that students purchase health insurance. International students are advised to purchase travel insurance prior to their visit to Ghana.
The Health centre provides information on procedures for registration with the university approved private health insurance providers.
HIV/AIDS and Ashesi University
Ashesi University takes the HIV/AIDS threat very seriously and commits significant amounts of time and resources to equip its community with the tools to fight this scourge. The HIV/AIDS campaign has support from the highest levels of management at the university. The Health Centre engages in a number of activities in its fight against this disease. It also provides voluntary counseling and testing services. Currently, the Health Centre is working in collaboration with Family Health International (FHI) in the fight against this pandemic.
General Education on HIV/AIDS
Several approaches are used to educate the Ashesi community about the HIV/AIDS epidemic, including the following
- Campus-wide e-mail communication
- One-on-one education and counselling
- Group presentations by the Nurse Administrator, Peer educators, and invited medical and public health officials
- Reading materials on reproductive health (available at the Health Centre)
- Display of posters around campus
- Ashesi annual Laughter Day.
The university encourages all its members to keep themselves informed about public health issues, with the hope that this knowledge will reflect in their lifestyles. Members of the community are also encouraged to participate in voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) in order to learn their HIV status.
Other Activities
The Health Centre provides training to the on-site caretaker at the Ashesi Apartments to enable him to administer first aid and refer students to the hospital when the need arises. The Centre provides a well-furnished First Aid Box (to enhance the work) at the Ashesi Apartments, the university nurse makes regular visits there as well. The Health Centre conducts monthly blood pressure monitoring, periodic medical examinations for interested faculty and staff, free eye and dental screening conducted by reputable specialist clinics.
Confidentiality
Health information is kept confidential and is limited to people who are directly involved with the patient's care: nurses, doctors, etc. In general Ashesi's health care team includes nurses, physicians, counsellors, and the deans. However access to medical records is restricted to Health Centre staff and is shared with others only upon the written consent of the individual involved. In the case of a threat to life, an exception may be made and information may be shared with the deans, the president of the university and the student's emergency contacts (typically, parents).