By Fatima Anafu-Astanga
Yikene, Nov. 20, GNA – Some residents of Yekine community at Dua in the Bongo district of the Upper East Region have been attacked by some strange skin ailments putting fear in residents.
The disease, which attacks the skin, eats deep into the flesh of the affected person and into the bone.
Some of the families believe the ailment is spiritual and have sent victims for traditional treatment while others are battling the disease at home.
A former messenger of the Naara Ruural Bank from Apuwongo, a nearby community, is currently amputated and on admission at the Ultima Hospital, a popular Bone hospital at Zuarungu in the Bolgatanga East District.
The parents of a 15-year-old Master MBA Atampugre of Yikene are also in the Northern Region to seek traditional treatment for their son whose arm is affected and there is fear of amputation since the skin of the hand is eating away.
Mr Nyaaba Adongo, a 50- year-old man and father of five said he suffered the ailment for the past three years and indicated that his left foot started with a sore leading to a swell and according to him two surgeries were done on him at the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital when he had complained of in ability to urinate and painful groin.
He said apart from excruciating pain in the abdomen, he is unable to control urine.
According to Mr Adongo, who is a farmer, doctors at the hospital asked him to get funds for another surgery, but he could not raise the money.
He said his fourth toe on right foot became rotten and eventually dropped off and indicated that even though the sore on the foot had healed, the sole of the same foot is punctured.
Mr Roger Abugre Apulonge, Assembly Member for the Apowongo -Yikene electoral area, who spoke with the GNA at the Yikene community confirmed the health issue in some communities in the electoral area.
He said the disease developed like a sore and eats into the skin, noting that some children developed boils and that three people in his community were already affected.
According to him, the electoral area combined with Apuwongo and Yikene, which has a population of over two 2,000 people, were worried about spread if nothing serious was done to control the spread.
Mr Apulonge said his brother, who is amputated in the leg from Apuwongo started with a sore at the back of his leg and spread deep and a visit to the hospital, and scanned check indicated it was cancer for which nothing could be done except amputation.
The Assembly man appealed to researchers and health personal to come to the community to help nib the situation in bud.
GNA