The University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) has undertaken a stakeholder engagement and cancer care improvement workshop at the University’s main campus, Sokode-Lokoe, in Ho.   

The event was organised with the support of the American Cancer Society Global Academy, in collaboration with the Ho Teaching Hospital (HTH) Technical Working Group, as part of the Global Healthcare Provider Support Grant initiative.  

The workshop brought together medical professionals, administrators, pharmacists, nurses and researchers to discuss practical strategies to enhance cancer care and strengthen multidisciplinary collaboration within the Ho Teaching Hospital.  

Professor Lydia Aziato, Vice Chancellor of UHAS, in her remarks, encouraged participants to engage partners and collaborate actively for research works, emphasising that the future of academia was tied to impactful research and meaningful collaborations.   

She advocated continuous innovation, team efforts and knowledge sharing among healthcare practitioners to improve patient care outcomes.   

“We make history together; we make impact together. So long as I remain the Vice Chancellor, we will continue to facilitate collaborations across departments to serve our patients better,” she said.  

The Director of Medical Affairs at HTH, Dr. Emmanuel Senyo Kasu, gave a comprehensive overview of cancer management at the facility and mentioned that many people in the Volta Region remain unaware of cancer and its symptoms, which contributes to late diagnosis and limited treatment outcomes.   

He stressed the importance of awareness creation and early screening as part of effective management of cancers.  

Speaking on the crucial role of data, Director of Research, Policy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation at the hospital, Mr. Simon Dzokoto, discussed how cancer registries help in tracking incidence, treatments and outcomes. He underscored the registries value in enabling better planning, policy-making and resource allocation.  

Dr. Koku Amegan-Aho, Project Lead and Head of the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at UHAS School of Medicine, provided an update on the American Cancer Society grant and outlined key interventions under the project.   

He called for comprehensive education on chemotherapy safety, adding that baseline assessments had already started.   

He said, as part of ongoing efforts, a dedicated session on chemotherapy safety was scheduled for September, 2025.   

He added that HTH had acquired a safety cabinet and planned to roll out educational posters, e-learning materials and training videos for staff.   

He also said plans were underway to launch a specialized mobile application to guide pharmacists in drug selection and safe administration protocols.  

On his part, the Quality Manager at HTH, Mr. Samuel Ahiah, emphasized the need to treat patients with dignity and equity.   

He called for respectful and clear communication, advocating patients’ involvement in all decision-making processes regarding their care.    

Mr. Frederick Nyaho, a Palliative Care Nurse Specialist, who made a presentation on ‘Challenges of Pain Management in Cancer Care,’ said patients often struggled to describe their pain accurately and many hold misconceptions about the use of opioids (pain relievers).   

He said these challenges accounted for the suffering of excruciating pain by patients after chemotherapy sessions.   

He called for increased education for both patients and healthcare providers.  

A Pharmacist at HTH, Dr. James Appiah Adu Yeboah, made a presentation on the Chemosafe Initiative, underscoring the importance of appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when handling chemotherapy drugs.   

He said the safety of healthcare providers was equally as important as protecting patients.  

Dr. Nelson Afram, a Senior Surgeon at HTH, who co-moderated a panel discussion during the stakeholder engagement, was officially introduced as the Chairperson for the newly established Multidisciplinary Tumor Board at the Ho Teaching Hospital.   

The Board is expected to enhance coordinated cancer care by bringing together experts from various specialties to develop comprehensive treatment plans for patients.  

The workshop marked another step in UHAS’ commitment to fostering research-driven healthcare delivery through strong institutional partnerships and multidisciplinary collaborations.