More child poisoning cases recorded at KATH

Kumasi, Oct. 15, GNA - The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) recorded a total of 318 cases of home poisoning, involving children between January and June this year.

285 of them were admitted at the hospital and 14 of them died from respiratory failures.

Dr Justice Sylverken, a Lecturer at the Department of Child Health at KATH School of Medical Sciences, who made this known said an average of two cases were reported daily during the period. He was speaking on the topic "Home Poisoning in Children" at the annual general meeting of the Paediatric Society of Ghana in Kumasi on Friday.

Dr Sylverken said most of the cases involved the drinking of kerosene by the children, who were mostly between two and five years and advised parents to be very careful with how they kept kerosene in their homes, since a teaspoonful of kerosene could kill the child. Professor F. Abantanga, Head of the Department of Surgery at the Paediatric Unit of KATH, who spoke on the overview of accidents and trauma, said 50 per cent of all paediatric deaths occur during the first trauma.

He mentioned transport, fall and burns as the leading causes of deaths and injuries to children and said most of them died at the accident scenes due to lack of effective trauma management. Prof. Abantanga called for effective prevention efforts to reduce accidents, especially those involving transport on the roads. Madam Patricia Appiagyei, Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister, commended members of the society for advocating for the well being of children.

She deployed the high rate of morbidity and mortality among children as results of injuries and poisoning in the home and urged parents to take stringent measures to prevent their children from disabilities. Madam Appiagyei appealed to members of the society to device ways and means to create awareness among the public to help reduce injuries and deaths among children in the home.

Professor Baffoe Bonney, President of the society said the society was dedicated to the promotion of safety and welfare of children.