International exchange for palliative care: Ghana visiting Chiemsee!

International exchange for palliative care: Ghana visiting Chiemsee!

On May 22, 2025, a significant visit from Ghana took place in the Chiemsee Hospice in Bernau. The delegation consisted of highly qualified experts, including Dr. Rex Quarhie, a palliative doctor, and Lydia Asamoah, a palliative care force that together with Ruth Wiedemann, the hospice management, Dr. Stefanie Appel, another palliative doctor, and Gabriele Dalzio, a palliative care force, drove the exchange about palliative medicine and care between Ghana and Germany. According to rosenheim24 this contact was made by an auxiliary project of the association German Rotary Volunteer Doctors (GRVD) initiated.

In the past, volunteers had already carried out training in clinics in Ghana to strengthen the knowledge of palliative medicine and care. A central goal of the collaboration was to support the establishment of a palliative care unit in Akwatia, Ghana. The exchange includes a two -week return visit from Ghana in the region, in which the participants had the opportunity to gain valuable insights into the practice of specialized outpatient palliative care (SAPV) in Traunstein.

Exchange in the premises of the Chiemsehospice

As part of her visit to the Chiemsee Hospice, Dr. Quarthe and Asamoah the opportunity to take part in a hospitation. The focus was on various aspects of medical and nursing peculiarities in German palliative care. The conversations ended with a traditional Bavarian breakfast, in which the participants were able to enjoy pretzels, Obazda and Radi. In common and differences in palliative care between Ghana and Germany were discussed again.

The initiative for international cooperation takes place in an increasingly important context of palliative care. The umbrella organization Austria and the Austrian palliative company has taken significant steps since 2007 to strengthen palliative care in Europe. Already in 2009 the first international symposium “being in life. Voluntary work in the hospice and palliative care” was held to give the volunteers a voice.

The importance of such exchange programs is underlined by the ongoing efforts to promote dialogue and training in palliative care worldwide. Dr. Karl Bitschnau, co-chair of Task Force Social Work in the EAPC, as well as other experts are continuously working on the further development of standards and surveys for palliative care in Europe. Therefore, this exchange with Ghana could also serve as a model for similar initiatives in other countries.