Healing Jesus Crusade

Dag Heward-Mills, medical doctor turned superstar healing evangelist, came to Kintampo for two nights in July producing a fever of anticipation in the town. As the sun set buses brought in people from neighbouring villages and thousands of people thronged to a vast marquee erected on a large field on the edge of town. Young men with limbs deformed through polio, arthritic old ladies bent double, women bearing children, the blind with long staffs, hoards of curious children, devout Christians from the town's churches, and Muslims. An atmosphere of expectation and excitement built up as the self-styled healing 'Bishop' urged the crowd to expect healing miracles and promised that Kintampo would never be the same again. After music from the choir accompanied by energetic dancing and fervent prayers, a collection was taken in large flourescent sacks and people were urged to sow a 'seed offering' for their healing. Heward-Mills then gave a homily following which the crowd were offered 'salvation cards' in which to sign their names to show their acceptance of Christ. Thousands grasped eagerly for the cards, despite the fact that many were illiterate, holding them in the air and repeating a prayer of commitment to Jesus Christ. The crowd were then invited to place their hands on the place where they were afflicted whilst Heward-Mills prayed for the healing of the sick and breaking of the devil's power. To the strains of 'He's a healing Jesus' at his invitation hundreds of people began to flock to the front of the tent to proclaim their healing. There were gasps and excited chatter as a wheelchair was lifted aloft and a woman made her way to the stage to stagger across it to the encouragement of a grinning Heward-Mills and the cheers and applause of the crowd. Thereafter a parade of people stumbled across the stage to proclaim they had been healed, or to beg for a healing prayer. Thousands of people returned home many convinced they had seen a miracle and the crusade was the topic of town gossip for several days.

Kintampo scenes

If there is an image of Africa it is the red earth. Aside from the main roads around Kintampo, the roads are unpaved. Driving towards villages in taxis and trotros you become covered in red dust. If it is raining, you may become mired in red mud.
Football is immensely popular and played everywhere, by children and young men. Most do not have football boots, and play in bare feet or flip-flops, 'Charlie wote' as they are called. Some do manage to get a pair of battered football boots or trainers from the second-hand shoe stalls at the market or by the side of the road. I saw one man playing with one foot bare, and his striking foot in a trainer, evidently only one was fit for wear.

Tetteh Quarshie's cocoa plantation

Tetteh Quarshie was the man who brought the first cocoa seeds to Ghana and thus began what became the major export industry for Ghana. He created Ghana's first cocoa plantation up in the hills of Mampong, just outside Accra. So if you are wondering where your chocolate comes from, these yellow pods which contain the cocoa seeds, is where it all begins. Here you can buy Kingsbite, a locally produced chocolate, but it is prohibitively expensive for many Ghanaians, and much of the cocoa goes for export. Recently cocoa powder has been marketed as a health product and is becoming increasingly popular, often sold in the local pharmacies called chemical sellers. Another important product of cocoa is cocoa butter, which is sold everywhere in big plastic pots. The thick cream makes your skin smell like chocolate.

International Central Gospel Church

The International Central Gospel Church in Accra is one of the biggest in Ghana. It is headed by the charismatic Mensa Otabil, whose motivational style of preaching has made him immensely popular, especially it seems among the aspirational and upwardly mobile English-speaking urbanites. This was the second of two services, each attended by a congregation of thousands. It was held in the huge auditorium in a new complex of buildings. The backdrop to the stage shows a mural which includes depictions of a rocket, a soaring eagle and a stairway to heaven, all conveying the year's theme of 'elevation', both spiritual and material.

Isabella

Isabella, a nurse tutor from Pantang psychiatric hospital, in her finest for a wedding.

Friends and colleagues from Ankaful and Pantang

Mrs Mornay, director of Ankaful NTC, visiting us at Pantang


Sharing a laugh with Philip, one of the nurses from Pantang hospital.


Rita, a nursing colleague from the UK and Lola, a nurse from Ankaful psychiatric hospital


Usher, the driver from Ankaful, receiving some book donations.

Teaching at Ankaful and Pantang nurse training colleges

Pantang NTC



Ankaful NTC



In June I joined a group of Ghanaian nurses who work in London to conduct some training for staff and students at the two psychiatric nurse training colleges in Ghana. Here we are in action using our interactive methods, including roles plays and group discussion, as well as some practice of breakaway and restraint techniques which caused much hilarity. Despite the humour, the management of violent or agitated patients is a hot topic in situations where wards are poorly staffed, staff are inadequately trained and it is not uncommon for the psychiatric hospitals to run out of medication. Sometimes the staff resort to using other patients to help with restraint. However there is hope that with time the situation will improve. The colleges have increased their intake so we taught huge classes, sometimes over 150 students. It is hoped that increasing the numbers of trained psychiatric nurses will plug some of the shortfall in health professionals as a result of migration and attrition. However the more important issue is also about the status of patients who are often managed in very authoritarian ways, and the culture of fear and apathy on the wards which means that there is a tendency to use the most assertive methods of restraint such as high doses of IV medication, rather attempt to contain agitated patients through less invasive and drastic means.