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Health News of Monday, 11 May 2009

Source: GNA

Namolgo hole in the heart boy needs help

Tongo (UE) May 11, GNA - Sandih Saambil, an eight year old hole in the heart boy from Namolgo in the Talensi-Nabdam District, in the Upper East Region, needs assistance to enable him undergo surgery at the Korle-bu Hospital in Accra. Mrs. Agnes Atayila, Nutrition Officer in charge of the Talensi-Nabdam District, in the Upper East Region, who disclosed this to That was after the commissioning of the Talensi-Nadam District Nutrition centre, constructed by the assembly at the cost of 48,000 Ghana Cedis.

Mrs. Atayila said that in 2006, the boy was diagnosed hole in heart by the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital and recommended him for treatment at the Korle bu. She said that the parents of the boy were poor and could not afford to pay the amount involved for the surgery.

Mrs. Atayila said the boy was being taken care of by the Nutrition Centre at Tongo and stressed that the general public should come to his aid. She said that the Centre had a lot of malnourished children including those with HIV /AIDS, who were undergoing nutrition rehabilitation and needed support from individuals and NGOs to enable it care for the inmates.

Mrs. Atayila explained that government alone could not take care of the children and the Catholic Relief Service (CRS) that was supporting the Centre had withdrawn its services. She, however, commended the CRS, World Food Programme, UNICEF and Presbyterian Primary Health Services among others for supporting the Centre.

The District Health Director of Health, Mrs. Rosemond Azure commended the district Assembly for constructing the Nutritional Centre that had supported the health directorate to help malnourished children who could not go to Bolgatanga and other places for rehabilitation. She said since last year, the Centre has rehabilitated 109 marasmus cases, 44 kwashiokor and 94 maramic-kwashiokor cases and assisted 18 inmates to register with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).