An endoscopy looks inside the gullet, stomach and the start of the gut through a thin camera passed down the throat; a colonoscopy looks at the large bowel from below. Both are done in Accra, but by fewer specialists than the city needs, so expect to wait and to ask around.
Where
| Where | |
|---|---|
| Korle Bu Teaching Hospital | The country’s longest-running endoscopy unit, and where Ghana’s gastroenterologists train |
| 37 Military Hospital | An endoscopy service, open to civilians |
| University of Ghana Medical Centre, Legon | An endoscopy unit, with few specialists to run it |
| Private hospitals | Several larger private hospitals and surgical centres offer both procedures; ask your doctor which they refer to |
Surveys of endoscopy in Ghana describe the same problem at every public unit: equipment that breaks down and too few trained hands. Call the unit before you go, to check it is working and how long the list is.
Getting one
Usually through a doctor’s referral. A GP or specialist decides which test you need - a stomach complaint and a change in bowel habit need different ones - and writes to the unit. Without a referral, start with a consultation at the hospital that has the unit.
Ask, when you book:
- Who does it - a gastroenterologist or a surgeon trained in it.
- Whether you will be sedated, and what that costs on top.
- When you get the report, and whether biopsies are sent to a lab, which adds days and a separate fee.
- Whether NHIS or your insurer covers it, and what you pay on the day.
Preparing
For an endoscopy: nothing to eat or drink for several hours before; the unit tells you how many.
For a colonoscopy: the bowel must be empty, which means a special diet for a day or two and a strong laxative drink the day before. It is the unpleasant part, and doing it properly is what makes the test worth having - a poorly prepared bowel can mean doing it again.
If you are sedated, someone must take you home. Do not drive for the rest of the day.
Do not wait for an appointment if
You are vomiting blood, passing black or bloody stools, or cannot keep food down. Go to an emergency department.
— Hospitals in Accra — NHIS: what it covers — Private health insurance