Life under lockdown for parents of children with special needs

Parents of children with special need in Kumasi have called on the government to improve support to them during the Coronavirus crisis.

Although government has commenced the distribution of food to the poor and vulnerable to enable them cope under the ongoing partial lockdown, some mothers of children with special need say they are yet to benefit from the intervention.

Martha Opoku-Agyemang is a mother of a child with cerebral palsy.

She says life under lockdown remains difficult for her and her son.

“Even under normal circumstance, it’s not easy for some of us since we always have to remain home and cater for our dependent children. This lockdown has worsened our plight because the people who hitherto support you are currently not working.”

Martha although commended government for initiating steps to support the vulnerable, she claims mothers of children with special need like her have been left out.

“We can’t live our kids and go out there to join long queues for food. Our urgent need is not only food but medication and funding to enable us cater for children.”

Martha is also the founder of Kids with Special Needs and Single Parents Care Foundation.

She brings together mothers of children with special needs to deliberate on their challenges and seek for support for each other.

She appealed to individuals, churches, institutions, and groups for more donations to help more kids with special needs in restricted areas.

She mentioned hand sanitizers, gloves, toiletries, medication, nose mask, diapers, food items and funding as urgent needs of parents of children who need special care.

April 15 is seventeen days since government imposed a restriction of movement in parts of Greater Accra and Greater Kumasi to help contain the spread of COVID-19.

Ghana as of April 15 has recorded 636 confirmed cases with eight deaths and 17 recoveries.