Back problems and head loads and other disabilities

It is interesting to note that since the study of physics was introduced as part of science education in Ghana, there has been not any significant creativity regarding the polley system. How could people lift heavy goods and avoid carrying the load on their heads.

While there have been advances around lifting of loads in the developed wcountires over in Ghana and most of Africa people are still carrying heavy loads which is three times their body weight. Why is it that up till, no development have been explored to use a system for decreasing friction between moving surfaces, wherein the material for decreasing friction comprises a petroleum lubricant, water, synthetic lubricant, grease, solid lubricant or metal working lubricant, and optionally an additive could be used. Shopping trolleys are now widely used these days in the developed countries. There are different types of trolleys that ordinary welders could divert their usual super designing of gate and perhaps expand in this new product shopping trolleys. They could then segment the market of trolley making . Some for the elderly, market ladies, those whose profession is carrying of heavy goods, the elderly who could use the trolleys as a walking aid. Labour is cheap howeevr primary health care is not affordable for the poor vulnerable group within our society. Let’s focus on those living in slums like Sodom and Gomorrah. Who cares for them? Are these the very people one would find in markets carrying heavy loads daily to earn a living? I have attached a report through research, as I’m not making this up.
A report on the design and production of special seating units and orthotic and prosthetic components
Naomi Romjin: 28th June – 7th September 2004 I will only included the relevant bits in my articles and one could refer if the full report needs to be revisited.

The Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP) was founded by a young, British physiotherapist, Valerie Taylor. Valerie came to Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) in 1969, working for VSO. As one of the first physiotherapists there, she was horrified by the lack of care for paralysed and severely handicapped people. Hospital patients were dying or being condemned to permanent immobility for lack of appropriate treatment, and disabled people were frequently rejected by their relatives. With a group of three Bangladeshis she set about providing effective treatment for spinal cord injury (SCI) victims, helping them lead active and purposeful lives. In 1979, helped by OXFAM and other charitable donors she started CRP, initially for four patients, though this quickly increased. Now, 25 years later, a 100-bed hospital in Savar is their headquarters. There they have numerous wards, an outpatient clinic, X-ray department, pathology laboratory, operating theatres, mother and child unit, special needs school, metal and timber workshops, and special seating unit and orthotics production unit. It is still the country’s only training centre for occupational therapy students. CRP also has several sub-centres: CRP-Gonokbari, 15km from Savar, is a centre specifically aimed at providing vocational training for homeless, paralysed women; CRP-Gobindapur is a physiotherapy day-clinic for children with cerebral palsy (CP), located in scenic, forested surroundings in northern Bangladesh (near Sylhet); CRP-Mirpur is a new diagnostic, medical and therapeutic centre on the outskirts of Dhaka. CRP staff, patients, students and volunteers all work together to realise the centre’s objective – ‘Ability not Disability’.
Like Bangladesh some people in Ghana go through these scenarios. In most of our villages many poor people are so welcoming and one feels welcomed in their homes even without the basic amenities. Let help the vulnerable among our developing country.
Whilst the developed countries have moved from carrying head loads into the use of trolleys we in Ghana are still at it. Back in the late 1950’s we had supermarket for example GNTC, UTC and Kingsway as well as the open markets. Sadly, there is hardly any growth and expansions in our supermarkets. Open markets are the preferred way we shop for food. There are no shopping trolleys or cart individual could use. Hence most of us depend on the carrier ladies for carrying our heavy loads into our cars or the nearest Tro tro stations? Do we actually know the impact our heavy loads have on these poor ladies and men?
Labour is cheap and readily available. All over in Ghana one can easily see men and women squatting in the full sun, breaking bricks and stones with small hammers.
Women and children carry the broken stones in baskets on their heads to waiting lorries. These Chipping’s are used building foundations as in Ghana we built most of our homes. There appear to be no health safety check workforce. Building workers hardly wear safety helmets at building sites.
Disabilities
Surely, we do have physiotherapist among us. Would it be fair that this group of specialist could advise the government about all the possible effects of heavy load carrying on the heads?
It’s only last year that the disability bill was passed by parliament. . This would give the people with disability more rights however to what extent. Families with such situation often find themselves alone. In many instances when the support net work is not there.
Proactive measures.
There should be daily health education of the causes of backache and its prevention to alert the public.

Care Provision

We need to integrate health care workers with backache experience to be attached to health centre to advise the public particularly during market days. The public must be made aware that since there are no provision of people with back problems and other disabilities one needs to look after one body.
Massaging, Chiropractor, physiotherapist are also expert in this area but how could a carry lady in Ghana afford to see specialist of these calibre. An open door advise for the ordinary people with back problems would be cost effective way of dealing with the issues of this nature.

Ghana Highways Authority

How could the blind walk independently as most of our roads have no pathways and are impassable for wheelchairs.
Health and safety education I would suggest that we have in place lifting and handling integrated into a First aid room all at Tro tro stations for the tro tro mates, at Market for the market carrier ladies etc.
The heavy head load carrying system within our society must now be frown upon. These days with civilisation we need to move on with modern times. The practice must be discouraged and the carrier ladies and others encouraged more investment in shopping trolleys for renting. It would be nice to see Tro tro stations also investing in trolleys for rentals stations.
Health and safety inspectors may need to do spot checks. Ghana must be a model for other Africa countries.

To all the technical schools and KUST

I’m appealing to all physicists in Ghana to try and engage our youths into manufacturing these trolleys. Even the Katamato welders and the magasin boys could also start this type of business. Wheel chairs could also be made in Ghana. Let be proud to make things for our markets instead of us buying other people products. Let me buy made in Ghana shopping trolleys wheel chairs etc.
One could easily a brochure or catalogue if one have contacts. These are what our people want and those of us in Diaspora must encourage our youths and get the brochures of catalogues for them to emulate. Sooner or later no one would be seen carrying heavy loads on their heads. Let us change history.