(Daily Graphic, Nov 11, 2011, Page 19)
GHANA and
Trentino, an Autonomous Province of Italy, have entered into a partnership to repair
a brain disorder in children known as hydrocephalus, which has resulted in many
children in Ghana living with mental disabilities and abnormal head sizes.
As part of the partnership, a group of physicians,
comprising neurosurgeons and doctor anaesthetists, arrived in Ghana last week
and commenced surgical operations on children living with the condition.
The visiting doctors are performing the operations
at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) together with other specialised and
general surgeons working at that hospital.
This would enable the visiting doctors
impart the knowledge and skills on this surgical procedure to their Ghanaian
counterparts to enable the latter continue to perform such procedures when the
visiting team departs.
Ghana’s Ambassador to Italy, Her
Excellency Ms Anita Evelyn Stokes-Hayford led the medical team to Ghana, which
also included Trentino’s Minister for Solidarity and Co-existence, Lia G. Beltrani.
The team met and had discussions with
the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the TTH, Dr Ken Sagoe and other management
staff of the TTH.
Ambassador Stokes-Hayford said as part
of the partnership arrangement, a sister-city relationship would be fostered
between Trentino and one district in Ghana, which is yet to be selected.
She said Ghana and Italy had a long
standing relationship which dates back to the era of Ghana’s first president,
Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, during which a diplomatic mission was established in
Italy.
On her part, Ms Beltrani said the
government of Trentino would continue to make available medical equipment and
other logistics to the TTH to assist them in treating children living with
hydrocephalus.
She said hydrocephalus was a dangerous
medical condition that caused psychological handicap for many children in
Africa.
“Those who grow up with this condition
develop complications in the future because it hinders the development of the
brain,” she stated.
Ms Beltrani said Trentino had some of
the best neurosurgeons the world could boast of and would therefore use these
physicians to assist Ghana in improving neurosurgical operations in the
country.
Dr Sagoe lauded the decision to
undertake the surgeries in Tamale, noting that the people of the north were in
dire need of such medical assistance.
He said already, the visiting doctors
had started to examine some of the patients, whiles preparations were underway
to commence the operations.
Hydrocephalus refers to a medical
condition where there is an abnormal build up of fluid on parts of the brain
which leads to a number of complications including enlargement of the head and
mental disability.
The condition is also referred to as
‘water in the brain’.
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