Korle Bu continues to blaze the trail in the health sector with the introduction of new services. The latest service to be added is forensic nursing. This feat has been achieved with the training of one of its staff, Mrs. Harriet Odoley Klufio nee Charway, as the first ever forensic nurse in the country.
She is a staff of the Department of Child Health. She became a full forensic nurse in 2017 after successfully completing the practical aspects of the education and training at the Georgia Network to End Sexual Assault, GNESA in Atlanta, USA.
A forensic nurse is a registered or advanced practice nurse who has received specific education and training. The forensic nurse is usually in the frontline of helping victims affected by violent crimes such as physical and sexual abuse. They provide comprehensive physical and psychological care to victims of violence while demonstrating competence in conducting a medical forensic examination including evaluation of victims, evidence collection, providing effective courtroom testimony during prosecution of perpetrators of the violent crimes and abuse and also show compassion and sensitivity towards survivors of violence.
Mrs. Klufio became a forensic nurse when she realized that there was a gap that needed to be filled in the Ghanaian healthcare system with regard to the examination and care of victims of violence.
Her interest in forensic nursing was triggered by an encounter she had in 2010 while working at the OPD of the Child Health Department with a woman whose seven-year old male child was a victim of sexual violence by his own brother.
Mrs Klufio immediately realized there was a need to close the gap in the healthcare system with regards to the examination and care of victims of violence by forensic nurses.
Mrs Klufio’s impressive educational background and vast experience in the healthcare industry has enabled her to excel in her role as the only forensic nurse in Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. After being asked by Prof. Ebenezer Badoe to manage abused victims in the Child Protection Unit in 2012, she knew she needed to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to fulfill the role effectively. This led her to pursue further education and training in Forensic Nursing with GNESA in Atlanta, USA, in 2017.
Before becoming a forensic nurse, Mrs Klufio attended and completed various institutions, including Achimota School and Accra Academy for her secondary and Sixth Form education respectively. She then enrolled at the Nursing Training College in Korle Bu and became a State Registered Nurse in 1990. In 1993, she gained admission to the Midwifery School in Korle Bu and became a staff nurse midwife in 1994. She furthered her education by obtaining a double major degree in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Ghana in 2000 and a BSc in Nursing from the University of Cape Coast.
As a Foundation Fellow of the Postgraduate Nursing and Midwifery College of Ghana, Mrs Klufio has demonstrated her commitment to advancing the nursing profession in Ghana. She is also a member of the Child Health Protection Committee of the Ghana Health Service, where she contributes her expertise in managing abuse cases in children and adolescents.
In her current role, Mrs Klufio is responsible for the care and management of all abuse cases suspected in children and adolescents across the hospital. Her dedication to her job and her patients is evident in her extensive educational background and the various roles she has taken on throughout her career.
Despite her busy schedule, Mrs Klufio finds time to relax and unwind by reading and watching news and documentaries. She is also a devout Christian and a loving wife and mother of three children.
