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Cerebral Palsy not contagious – concerned parent
A 35-year-old mother of a cerebral palsy child has debunked the claims that people who help in taking care of children with such condition risked giving birth to same because such children are cursed either by the gods or evil spirits.
She says that cerebral palsy childfen are often referred to as “nsuo ba” or “water children” literally meaning their mothers went to a water deity for them.
“In my case I was blamed for not keeping myself away from evil spirits when I was pregnant” the worried mother said this on condition of anonymity in an interview with The Spectator on Wednesday.
She has a six-year-old daughter with cerebral palsy.
Cerebral palsy is a congenital disorder of movement, muscle tone or posture and is usually due to abnormal brain development often before birth but could also occur at birth or in early infancy. Meanwhile the cause, according to health personnel, is not known.
She said she was fortunate to have in-laws who understood the situation and helped her and the daughter.
“However, in her early years it was tough for me to find a person willing to take good care of her so I found myself stuck at home on many occasions and this affected my mental health, ” she disclosed.
The woman said such children took various medications, (needed therapy or even sometimes surgeries) to control seizures and other factors which were expensive, therefore, placing financial burden on parents and guardians of such children.
She said there was the need for the government to put some, if not all, of such medications on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to cushion parents.
She again said taking care of such children was emotionally draining and it was sad to note that society was not doing much to help parents and guardians of such unfortunate children by accepting them and offering the necessary support to ease their burden.
“There must even be centres where parents and guardians of such children could go for counselling to help their mental health” she said stressing that finding appropriate caregivers was also a major challenge.
On education, she expressed concern that children with cerebral palsy did not get basic education because majority of schools, (both public and private), did not accept them into their fold.
“Schools are not willing to put in the necessary structures which ensure that such children get education and therapy that meet their need or tailored to them.
“Even inclusive education as things stand now, only seems to be on paper but not actually practised. Government should show commitment by initiating measures to actualise the practice of inclusive education especially at the basic level, “she said.
She further advocated conscious effort to get an appreciable number of young men and women to read courses on Special Education to help with the overall care and management of such children.
From Dzifa Tetteh Tay, Tema.
The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak, has accepted an apology from the Minority leader in Parliament following allegations of corruption in the recruitment process of the security services.
Speaking in Parliament yesterday, he indicated that the accusations were painful because they portrayed his actions in a way that suggested criminal wrongdoing.
“It is painful to be wrongly accused or for your actions to be misconstrued and labelled differently from your intention, especially when it is linked with criminality and serious wrongdoing,” he stated.
Mr Mubarak noted that although he was deeply hurt and worried by the allegations, he had decided to accept the apology wholeheartedly.
According to him, the issue should guide members of the House and public officials to focus on ensuring that the right things are done without attempting to destroy one another.
He assured the Minority that the Interior Ministry and the various security service commanders remain committed to transparency and accountability in their work.
The Minister added that the ministry would be ready to address any concerns raised by the Minority or other members of Parliament regarding recruitment into the security services.
He further appealed to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, to consider expunging from the parliamentary records the false comments.
Mr Mubarak expressed appreciation to the Speaker for handling the matter and emphasised the need for cooperation among members of Parliament to ensure fairness and proper oversight.
By: Jacob Aggrey
THE Gospel Advocates (TGA), a non-denominational evangelistic Christian organisation last Saturday donated a number of educational logistics to the Dodi Asantekrom Basic School in the Eastern region of Ghana.
The gesture was to mark the seventh anniversary of the organisation made up of professionals committed to preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to students in senior high schools, particularly in rural communities.
TGA also seeks to inspire students towards attaining academic excellence and guiding them towards optimising the various learning opportunities and academic programmes available at the tertiary level.
Among the items donated were 100 desks, 10 cupboards, 10 desktop computers, two laptops, 10 teachers’ tables and chairs and others.
The group also held its annual outreach programme that had a significant impact in the community through initiatives such as feeding 500 children with hot meals and assorted drinks, providing free medical screening and drugs for 500 adults and youth and conducting health education and sensitisation for both children and adults.
TGA also took upon itself to restock the community clinic with essential medicines and distributed food items, plastic bowls, cups and clothing to members of the community.
The initiative, according to officials of the group, was supported by ORSAM Limited, Doctors Save Lives Foundation, Johnson Tord Foundation, El-Shaddai Mothercare, Exceed Alliance Limited, GB Foods Ghana Limited, Qualiplast Limited, Phyto-Riker (Gihoc) Pharmaceuticals Limited, Cosa Bright Ghana, Kabs Pharmacy, Tobinco Pharmaceuticals, Pill Bay Pharmacy and Bamah 3.7.7.
“We are deeply grateful for their immense support and partnership in bringing hope, relief, and practical assistance to the people of Dodi Asantekrom,” the officials said.
In a statement, the President and Chairman of The Gospel Advocates, Mr. Selom Kpikpitse, said the donation to Dodi Asantekrom forms part of TGA’s broader mission to propagate the gospel of Jesus Christ among students and youth in rural communities through teachings, music and arts.
He explained that the meals provided to over 500 pupils were in line with the organization’s annual “Feed the Kidz Project,” which demonstrates Christ’s love.
Receiving the items on behalf of the school, the Headmaster, Mr. Otumfour Newton, expressed gratitude to TGA and its sponsors, saying that “the items would significantly enhance teaching and learning while improving the overall welfare and development of the pupils.”
Mr. Newton also commended the team for the free medical screenings for adults and youth in the community, and other community engagements.
Medical supplies were also donated to the Dodi Asantekrom CHPS compound and received on behalf of the facility by Mr. Amefu, a Physician Assistant.
By Spectator Reporter
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