Paper short abstract:

This study critically examines the crossing of boundaries between practitioners of Islam and Christianity in terms of health seeking practises in a mission hospital in a multi-religious neighbourhood in Madina, Accra.

Paper long abstract:

Ghana practices a plural medical system comprising of biomedical (allopathic), traditional (indigenous) and faith-based healing. Studies over the years have focused attention on Islamic healing, faith-based healing (mainly on Pentecostal and Charismatic healing practices) as individual medical categories. However, a study that critically examines the crossing of boundaries between practitioners of Islam and Christianity in terms of health seeking practises is empirically lacking. In this study, I examine how the Pentecost Hospital has thrived in Madina (a predominantly Muslim community) and how Muslims negotiate their access to the services of the hospital which has most of its staff as Christians. The aim of the hospital is to provide healthcare for the people within its immediate location and surrounding communities. And the mission of the hospital is to provide affordable and quality healthcare to all persons, especially the poor and marginalised. The hospital, among other services, provide obstetrics and gynaecology, and maternal and child welfare clinics. Against this background, I also examine how Islamic parents are entangled in their orientation on how to cater for their wards by 'Christian mothers' without recourse to religious identity. Underlying this negotiations by Muslims in this Christian mission hospital is the principal of DARURA (Islamic principal of necessity).