An Anesthetist who doubles as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Foundation of Orthopedics and Complex Spine (FOCOS) hospital, Dr. Irene Adorkor Wulf has bemoaned the rate at which children with spinal conditions lose their lives due to lack of funds to undergo surgery to correct their conditions.
According to the CEO, the hospital has a backlog of about 4,000 children with Curvature of the Spine waiting to undergo surgery. However, due to financial constraints, they lose some of these children in-between time before help could come to them.
Dr. Wulf explained that, although they operate on a first-come, first-serve system, they give priority to patients whose conditions are fast deteriorating. “Some of the patients seek help when their condition is at the worst stage. And they are those who lose their lives before getting help,” she said.
According to her, the Curvature of the Spine, also known as Scoliosis is a medical condition, which happens in adolescents.
Most cases are mild with few symptoms.
Some children develop spine deformities that get more severe as they grow, she explained.
“Severe scoliosis can be painful and disabling,” she noted.
Dr. Wulf was speaking at a short ceremony to receive a donation of GHS40,000 from the Miss Ghana Foundation as part payment of GHs74,000 for the cost surgeries for eight-year-old Linda Ocloo, a patient with a curvature of the spine.
Linda Ocloo is expected to undergo a two-part surgery in the course of the year, which amounts to a total of GHS 74,000. The total cost will be borne by the Miss Ghana Foundation.
Dr. Wulf has appealed to corporate entities, philanthropists, and individuals to come to the aid of some of these children.
Meanwhile, Chairperson of the Miss Ghana Foundation, Inna Patty disclosed that the gesture is part of the Foundation’s activities to mark its 65th-anniversary celebrations.
The Miss Ghana Foundation has been offering financial assistance to the FOCOS Hospital for the past five years and still counting.
The father of the patient, Daniel Ocloo, who could not hide his joy said, he hoped his daughter will become a “normal girl” after the surgery.
According to him, the daughter is unable to do anything by herself.
This puts much pressure on him as he has to do everything for her, including carrying her whenever they have to leave home.
Source: Classfmonline.com/Abena Nyarko Abronoma
