Burn Children in Ghana, Africa

My heart broke this week when two burned children died from an accidental gun powder explosion. An adult had the gunpowder while eight boys watched and after it exploded they all came with extensive burns. One twelve year-old asked me for a drink of water in the morning and when I finished surgery at 5 PM and checked on him, his bed was empty and I was told he had died at 3 PM. A three year-old died when an endotracheal tube could not be passed into his lungs through his burned, edematous, obstructing larynx. It is terrible for children to die from such a preventable accident and from lack of a burn unit with proper personnel and equipment. The adult and another eleven year-old are in serious condition.
 

 

These poor burned children do not even cry.

 

This week the lives were saved of a five year-old with a coin lodged in his esophagus, two septic patients with deep neck abscesses from tooth infections, and a septic patient who removed the bone caught in his mouth with a non-sterile knife. On Friday, a large, painful cystic forehead lesion was drained through the nose.

Africa's poverty and health

A three year old girl may die due to poverty, fear and ignorance. Four months ago, this girl presented with airway obstruction. A tumor, obstructing her breathing, was partially removed, allowing her to breath.  We have a part time pathologist and two months later her tumor was reported as a lymphoma, which can be cured ninety percent of the time with the proper chemotherapy. This week, the child, using a different name to avoid the previous hospital bill, presented to the hospital again with airway obstruction.  The lymphoma had increased in size and a tracheostomy was required to maintain her breathing. The girl needs to go to the larger city of Kumasi for chemotherapy. This rural family is afraid of a big city where their language will not be understood and they do not have money for food, x-rays or chemotherapy drugs. Our dept-ridden hospital does not have funds to donate and Ghana’s National Health Insurance does not pay for special x-rays and some chemotherapy drugs.  Several hospital staff are donating, but it is uncertain if the father can overcome his fear. He states: If God wishes her to die, she will die; if He wishes her to live, she will live. Money donated by a New Jersey parish was given to the family for expenses.