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Mobile Sports Clinic: Championing First Aid Care in Rural Basic Schools in Ghana

2 hours ago
4 min read

Written by: Kayla Adarkwah

Edited by: Ameya Vathanan



Growing up, I always loved being active and playing sports. Sports have been more than just a hobby; they have been a source of joy, connection, and personal growth. Alongside this, I have a deep passion for helping others. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing someone smile, knowing you have made a positive difference in their life. This combination of love for sports and helping people inspired me to start a mobile sports clinic initiative aimed at rural basic schools in my motherland, Ghana.


My dream of becoming a doctor has always been in the back of my mind, but I wanted to combine that with my love for sports. To learn more, I completed a junior volunteer program at Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center and shawdowing experiences at the Novant Health sports medicine clinics. As a basketball player at Ardrey Kell High School for nearly three years, I have seen firsthand how injuries can impact athletes. Two of my closest teammates tore their anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL), sidelining them for multiple seasons. I have also faced injuries, including a broken finger and knee troubles, which taught me the frustration of watching from the sidelines while others play. Spending so much time in the training room exposed me to the critical role of athletic trainers and the importance of proper care and injury prevention. Our shared experiences with sports injuries as Athletes are consistent with national trends. According to Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, the National SAFE KIDS Campaign and the American Academy of Pediatrics reported the following statistics on sports injuries: “More than 3.5 million children ages 14 and younger get hurt annually playing sports or participating in recreational activities. More than 775,000 children, ages 14 and younger, are treated in hospital emergency rooms for sports-related injuries each year.”1 Youth sports-related injury is a global concern with similar prevailing events in high schools in Ghana.2,3  


Prompt diagnosis and timely treatment of youth sports related injuries are important to improve outcomes globally.4,5 There is however disparity in first aid care for injured children especially in low- and middle- income countries.6 Seeing many athletes come in and out of the training room inspired me to create a mobile sports clinic to provide basic care and resources to children who might not have easy access to such support especially in rural Ghana. Injuries are inevitable, but with the right knowledge and care, many can be managed better or even prevented. In furtherance of these goals, I created an Amazon wishlist, gathered donations from family and friends to assemble a mobile sports clinic. With support from my fellow Ardrey Kell student partners and community, the medical items and supplies were shipped to Ghana.


The mobile sports clinic initiative was recently launched on July 21st, 2025 at the Pepease Presbyterian Basic School in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The clinic will focus on being a mobile athletic trainer resource for all sports, providing injury treatment, rehabilitaion guidance, and education. The sports clinic will be run by two first aid teachers under the supervision of the Pepease Health Centre, which is the local clinic. The first aid teachers are recieving the appropriate clinical training and orientation at the local clinic. A student-led first aid club, modeled on the Red Cross Concept, has also been set up to train and inspire students to be engaged in the sports clinic. In the long-term, I aim to study the outcome of the sports clinic initiative through evaluation and monitoring of the time to first aid care for sports injuries in basic schools, setting up of students’ first aid club, and support the implementation of the school health program. 


I hope this clinic inspires the students that they are supported and cared for. Sports play a huge role in Ghanaian culture, and I want these children to enjoy their games knowing they have the resources to recover safely should they be injured and stay healthy. This project is not without challenges, it has required time, effort, and overcoming mental setbacks-but with the help of God, my family, Church family, my team, and friends, the project has started successfully. 


Starting this mobile sports clinic is more than a project; it is my way of giving back to my community and empowering the next generation of athletes in Ghana to stay strong, healthy, and hopeful. To all my supporters, I say Medase! (Twi word for thank you).




References



Sarpong, E. O., Mawuli, M. S., & Ebenezer Ofosu Kofi. (2022). Prevailing Injuries among Senior High Students-Athletes in the Akuapem Municipality. Universal Journal of Sport Sciences, 16–24. https://www.scipublications.com/journal/index.php/ujss/article/view/276


Kwakye, S. K., Mostert, K., Garnett, D., & Masenge, A. (2024). Epidemiology and clinical characteristics of football injuries among academy players in Ghana. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, 10(4), e001519. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjsem-2022-001519



Davis, E. (n.d.). School Health Education | Ghana Education Service - GES. https://ges.gov.gh/school-health-education/


Gyedu, A., Stewart, B., Otupiri, E., Donkor, P., & Mock, C. (2020). First Aid Practices for Injured Children in Rural Ghana: A Cluster-Random Population-Based Survey. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 36(1), 79–85. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1049023x20001430


Addae, E. B. (2025, July 25). Kayla’s Mobile Sports Clinic launched at Pepease Presbyterian Basic School. Ghana News Agency. https://gna.org.gh/2025/07/kaylas-mobile-sports-clinic-launched-at-pepease-presbyterian-basic-school/


Bekoe, E. (2025, July 27). The story of 17-year-old US-Ghanaian teen athlete who is healing wounds across continents. GhanaWeb. https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/The-story-of-17-year-old-US-Ghanaian-teen-athlete-who-is-healing-wounds-across-continents-1993474




         



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