Begoro rehabilitation centre reeling under massive challenges

The Begoro Salvation Army Rehabilitation Centre is one of the very few Rehab centres in Ghana providing subsidized Physiotherapy and rehabilitation services to persons with varied disabilities particularly for the poor who are economically disadvantaged and whose access to other sources of health care is restricted.

The facility is, however, reeling under serious challenges.

The rehab centre established over three decades ago is facing financial challenges and high staff attrition due to government delay in releasing financial clearance to employ physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists.

The centre has over the years been depending on donor supports but that has reduced drastically, affecting the operation of the centre.

According to the Administrator of the Rehab Center, Nana Ato Hayford, “Our major challenge is the exit of some of our key personnel because the government has not given them Financial Clearance that has been a very big blow to us. So technically we need more technical staff to come and handle the kids for us.”

He added “also inadequate funding for ruining the place. For the past three years, we have been fighting to get funding but not forthcoming.”

The Administrator appealed for inclusion of cerebral palsy in health insurance while urging District Assemblies to use part of the disability fund to ensure children with disability locked up and hidden in rooms are admitted in rehabilitation centres adding there are so many superstitions and misconceptions about children with disability which the facility is trying to correct through outreach programs.

“As we speak, there are three children locked up in rooms in some communities that the families are reluctant to admit them,of course, the financial challenge is a factor”.

“But what we have noticed is that most parents send their children to Prayer camps, fetish priests etc so by the time they come here they are financially handicap. The National Health Insurance does not cover conditions we handle here. Children with Cerebral palsy are not covered so still pushing they include it”

The financial challenges of the facility is affecting its quest of providing assistive devices like canes, crutches, walkers, wheelchairs, surgery support among others in a very highly subsidized cost for the poor.

Upsurge in Cerebral Palsy admission

Experts at the facility have expressed concern over the increasing incidence of cerebral palsy among Ghanaian Children.

Children with the condition constitute the highest percentage of admission at Begoro Salvation Army Rehabilitation Center.

An Occupational Therapist at the facility, Paulina Nyarkotey explained to Starr News “the exact cause is unknown but there are risk factors. When there is prolonged labour, the more the child is being delayed in coming out then the brain is being denied oxygen which causes brain damage.

“Sometimes too when the child gets jaundice, convulsion- that child is at risk of getting cerebral palsy. Again, when the mother gets infections during pregnancy or bleeds during pregnancy that one too can cause cerebral palsy if the child is also born prematurely.”

Research indicates that 1 in 4 children with the condition cannot talk. Also, 1 in 4 cannot walk, 1 in 2 have an intellectual disability while 1 in 4 have epilepsy.

She said, in spite of the complexity of the condition, it does not necessarily affect intelligence or cognitive ability, neither does it deteriorate by age.

She, therefore, urged parents with Cerebral Palsy children not to lock them up in rooms rather admit them in rehab centres.