Manafwa village health teams get life-saving training
During the training, the village health teams received training in the care of children with neurological conditions and how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
Visiting experts training pupils in Manafwa district. (Courtesy photos)
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For many years, parents in Bugisu sub-region and other parts of the country have attributed their children’s neurological ailments to witchcraft from their neighbours or relatives.
Justin Chelengat, a clinical officer at Bubulo Health Centre IV in Manafwa district, says she once received a mother whose child was suffering from hydrocephalus yet she was insisting that an old woman in her village had cast spells on the child.
“The child was in a bad condition, but the mother was convinced that her child had been bewitched by an old woman she [child] met a village well. She explained that she had taken her child to many witchdoctors in both Kenya and Uganda; they had all told her it was witchcraft. On examining the child, however, I discovered that he [child] was suffering from hydrocephalus. We treated the child, but unfortunately the child later passed away. They came to hospital late,” she told New Vision.
Such stories were among those that came to the fore during the training of more than 100 members of village health teams in Manafwa district on the handling of children who suffer from neurological conditions such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy, hydrocephalus, autism and muscular dystrophy.
The training was conducted by health workers from Bubulo Health Centre IV, Butiru Crisco Hospital, as well as students from the University of West England in the UK and Makerere University at the premises of New Dawn International Hidden People’s Home in Butiru sub-county, Manafwa district on July 10.
The training was funded by the University of West England in partnership with New Dawn International Hidden People’s Home in Manafwa district.
During the training, the village health teams received training in the care of children with neurological conditions and how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
Speaking to the village health teams on Friday, Dr Miriam Mukhaye from Bubulo Health Centre IV, cautioned communities against stigmatising children with neurological conditions and attributing their condition to witchcraft.
Dr Mukhaye further cautioned mothers to seek antenatal care from health facilities as a way of preventing neurological conditions among children before they are born.
Visiting experts demonstrating to Manafwa pupils how CPR is performed.
“My fellow mothers, especially the senior ones who are expecting the fourth child upwards, please go for antenatal check-up as soon as you conceive. Take the health workers’ advice and follow it. When we give you folic acid, please take it because it prevents conditions such as hydrocephalus,” she explained.
Dr Mukhaye said even health workers have not been offering enough support to parents of children with neurological conditions.
“When parents take these children to health facilities, they are not given enough support. They may treat the child, but they usually do not counsel the parents on how to take care of him or her when they return home. They leave the hospital like they have given up,” she said.
A week before the training, students from Makerere University and the University of the West of England conducted community outreaches, where they went to homes with children who are suffering from neurological conditions to get a firsthand appreciation of the situation.
“Many do not have basics, and they are struggling to cope. We went to this home, and they had a sick child who is immobile, and all they wanted was a wheelchair to move around. I mean you cannot blame them,” she explained.
Gina Ellis, a nursing lecturer from the University of West England, said the team passed on skills such as CPR to the students because they are critical in the care of children with neurological conditions.
“Some of these children suffer from convulsions and a skill such as CPR is critical in caring for such people. You can easily save the life of a person if you possess this skill,” she said.
Lawrence Masette, a village health team member who was among those who received the training, hailed the health workers for skilling them in critical areas such as CPR, explaining that they are now better equipped to save lives in the communities.
“The CPR skill that we received today will not only save children with neurological conditions, but also other ailments. If a person suffers from cardiac arrest, I can perform CPR and resuscitate them,” he explained.
Nathan Namatati, who founded New Dawn International People’s Home together with his wife, Sonia Elizabeth, said they targeted village health teams because they are the ones that are always in touch with communities on health matters.
“We trained them so that they sensitise communities on how to take care of children with neurological conditions. These children should not be treated as outcasts; they should be helped to take part in the activities which they are interested in,” he said.
Although there is no consolidated data on children born with neurological conditions in Uganda, one in every 1,000 live births is of a child with spina bifida, hydrocephalus and cerebral palsy. Due to the high incidence, centres such as CURE Children’s Hospital in Mbale city perform about 2,000 brain and spinal surgeries to cure some of the defects.