Article by Heather Laura Clarke

DR. RON GEORGE TRAVELS TO AFRICA THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO PROVIDE MUCH NEEDED PRENATAL AND LABOUR CARE TO THE WOMEN OF GHANA

Dr. Ronald George often witnesses women risking their lives to give birth in Ghana, where childbirth is truly a life-threatening experience.  Conditions there are far different than those at the IWK Health Centre.

“In Ghana, the maternal mortality rates are anywhere between 400 to 600 deaths per 100,000 live births.  Unfortunately, during my brief visits to Ghana I have witnessed too many mothers die, ” says Dr. George.  “At the IWK, there is a chance I might see one or two deaths during my entire career.” 

Dr. George is an anesthesiologist in Women’s and Obstetric Anesthesia at the IWK and Associate Professor of Obstetric Anesthesia at Dalhousie University.  He also works with a group called Kybele – a non-profit, humanitarian organization dedicated to improving childbirth safety through educational partnerships and hands-on teaching.