Save the children

We have been constrained to return to the subject of the many children suffering various forms of ailments demanding expensive surgical interventions at the Cardio-Thoracic Centre, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and other medical facilities.

It breaks our hearts that in a civilized society where the Christian and Islamic faiths are dominant children afflicted with diseases die slowly because their parents cannot foot the cost of saving their lives

We do not have the details of the numbers but we can state that at the DAILY GUIDE and other media facilities, the demand to put out requests for support from members of the public have been overwhelming.

Sometimes we wonder whether an unusual lifestyle is responsible for the upsurge of the medical conditions the children in particular are suffering or that prevalent circumstances now make it possible for us to hear about what has been common in the country.

The story of a female pupil in a public school near the Nima Police Station is particularly heartbreaking. Zainabu is said to be suffering from a renal problem, a condition requiring a certain frequency of dialysis. The family managed to undergo the routine dialysis for sometime but had to abort the ritual for obvious reasons.

The oral medication too has been stopped; the side effects unbearable for the patient. The information reaching DAILY GUIDE is that both teachers who did their best to garner support for the kid and parents have given up any hope of saving her. One teacher described Zainabu as a very brilliant girl.

As a nation, we are asking that we do something about such situations especially as they affect children. Corporate bodies should start credible initiatives towards taking care of medically challenged kids.

The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) can be adapted to incorporate such cases, we think. It is just unacceptable that we are not doing anything to arrest the situation which is on the rise in recent times in the country.

There could be better alternatives to the aforementioned. We would be doing society and posterity an unquantifiable goodness if we take up this issue as a nation and deal with it holistically.

As we compose this commentary little Jewel Larbi, 7, has undergone surgery to reverse a life-threatening tumour on his face; the cost of the procedure having been borne by some good spirited persons.

Munawaratu Abdul Wahab, 7, is suffering from a complex hole-in-heart condition and requires, according to doctors at the Cardio Centre, further management to repair the defect procedures costing $6,000.

Nahima Abdul Aziz, 3, suffers a similar ailment and requires same amount of money to manage and repair. Both parents cannot raise the said amount of money and can only depend on the good spiritedness of Ghanaians.

It is our position that government should consider the rising trend of children being afflicted with such disturbing medical conditions and to float the necessary sustainable intervention to save their lives and to take care of future occurrences.

The case of Zainabu, as are others, is particularly heartbreaking.