ABUJA – Liron Ohiani Hydrocephalus Foundation, an Abuja based NGO, on Saturday called for free treatment for children suffering from hydrocephalus.
Mr Martins Ohiani, founder of the NGO, made the appeal in Abuja during interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Hydrocephalus is an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within cavities of the brain called ventricles.
Experts say this may cause increased intracranial pressure inside the skull and progressive enlargement of the head, convulsion, tunnel vision and mental disability.
They added that hydrocephalus can also cause death.
Ohiani told NAN that free treatment of the condition would relieve parents of the huge financial burden associated with its management.
He said it was unfortunate that hydrocephalus was not captured under the Federal Government’s National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
He said his NGO had contributed its quota towards mitigating the impact of the condition by offering free treatment to some children suffering from it.
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Ohiani said given its lean resources, the NGO finds it difficult to meet demands for assistance from parents and called on governments and philanthropists to come to its aid.
“ I am a hydro-dad because I have a son with hydrocephalus. So, as a parent, I know how it feels.
“ I founded this NGO so that persons and parents of children with the condition can come under one body’’, he said.
Ohiani also said there was the need to raise awareness on the condition, adding that doing so would reduce the impact of the disease.
“Creating awareness on this condition is very paramount to us because when it is noticed that a baby’s head is growing out of hand, it is usually attributed to spiritual problem.
“Lack of proper awareness on the condition makes people to attribute the condition to spiritual problem and go from one prayer house to the other, from one traditional home to the other.
“ Traditionalists deceive them by collecting their money. They lose a lot of money.
“Valuable time is also lost and the baby grows worse leading to fatal consequences such as visual impairment, brain damage etc’’, he said. (NAN)
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