Cerebral Palsy parents unhappy with health institutions

A Cerebral Palsy (CP) parent support group has expressed concern about the health care delivery system in the country.

The parents sharing their experiences at a maiden meeting said they had been very frustrated with the health care system in Ghana and urged government to do something about it.

Mrs. Eugenia Tevie, a mother of a child with CP, who recounted her frustrations, said the hospital environment was not even encouraging to take children for treatment hence many parents resort to spiritual or herbal solutions.

She said: “At most physiotherapy centres, it is a one size fit all equipment, whether your child is tall or short, plump or skinny they tie her in the same standing frame for all children accessing the services.”

Mrs. Tevie said there is the need for an improvement in the provision of health care services for CP children and called on authorities to train mothers with CP children in basic physiotherapy and speech therapy skills since they spend most of their time with the children

Mrs Hannah Awadzi, Initiator of the Special Mothers Project, a project advocating for children with CP and also a mother of a child with CP, reiterated the need for parents to be trained in basic skills.

“There are very few professionals in that area in Ghana providing services for a large number of patients, I think involving mothers in basic physiotherapy and speech therapy training will go a long way to support these children,” she said

Mrs. Awadzi, who also expressed unhappiness with the health care delivery system, said sometimes parents of a child with CP are really made to feel like victims.

“Woe betide you if your child gets sick in the wee hours of the day, some nurses and doctors really make you feel you are a bother,” she said and called on the Ministry of Health to do something urgently about the situation.

Nana Akua Owusu, a Speech Therapist, who joined the meeting, admitted that there were lapses in the health care system and urged parents to be united as they sought to articulate their concerns to government.

She expressed the wish for a one-stop service centre in Ghana where parents of CP children will get all the help they need.