By Godfred A. Polkuu
Bolgatanga, Aug. 30, GNA – A charity-based Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Helpingothers, has presented a cash amount of GHȻ3,050.00 to an 11-year- old boy on admission at the Upper East Regional Hospital in Bolgatanga, to facilitate his care.
The boy, (name withheld), was diagnosed of typhoid perforation and had been on admission at the Paediatric Surgical Unit of the Hospital since July 11, 2023.
Typhoid perforation is a complication of typhoid fever, caused by salmonella typhi and spread through contaminated food, water and close contact with an infected person.
The money was to help in purchasing some surgical consumables, his upkeep and registration onto the National Health Insurance Scheme, as he was not an NHIS client.
Mr Antonio Garcia Condado, the Head of the NGO, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency after he presented the cash, said Helpingothers got wind of the patient’s plight through Mr Mark Anthony Azongo, a Paediatric Nurse Specialist at the Hospital.
The NGO is made of family members from Spain who have taken it upon themselves, as the name suggests, to extend help to less privileged individuals and institutions in the Region and beyond.
Some members, thus, visited the boy on admission, and upon assessment, realised that his parents needed financial support to facilitate his health care.
Helpingothers had offered support to hospitals and schools in the Region for the past six years.
“We are in our last days in the Region and so we want to help as many needy people as possible to settle their bills,” he said.
Mr Condaho, accompanied by his daughter, Ms Claudia Garcia, wished the patient a speedy recovery.
Mr Bukari Musah, the father of the patient, who received the money, commended the NGO for the support and said it was timely.
“This support is timely because I have spent almost all I had on the health of my son, and almost lost hope. I thank them very much and may God replenish what was spent on my son,” he said.
Mr Dokurugu Mohammed, the Assistant Manager of the Paediatric Surgical Unit, told the GNA that the patient had undergone surgical operation for the condition, where colostomy, an incision into the colon through the abdomen was done to redirect his stool from the rectum and the anus.
He said the victim had a colostomy bag which contained faecal matter and was changed every four to six hours daily.
“The frequent changing of the bag is quite expensive to the family. And once we change the colostomy bag, it means we have to dress the wound.”
The management of the Unit would ensure that the money was used to buy the needed items to
continue with the patient’s care for speedy recovery, he said, and expressed gratitude to the family for the gesture.
GNA