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UNICEF, MOPH covers medical aid to microcephaly babies
It has been two years since the first case of a Microcephaly birth was reported in Guyana in the wake of the advent of the Zika virus. Since then 20 cases have been recorded to date, with the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) providing much needed assistance to the babies.
The most recent aid took the form of a presentation of tumble form chairs to six children. This should help the developmental growth of the toddlers. The chairs, achieved through a collaborative effort between the Ministry and the United Nation’s Children Fund (UNICEF) seek to lessen the challenges for these parents.
Director of Rehabilitation Services, Ministry of Public Health, Ariane Mangar, said that the chairs are expected to benefit the children through infancy and older. “The child can literally grow with the chair. It provides head support and it helps the child with its balance and to sit independently thus aiding its food digestion. It will also help children attain their various milestones as they progress.”
Some of the children sitting in the tumble form chairs
From left Dr. Faqueeda Watson- school health officer MOPH, Dr. Oneka Scott, Maternal and Child Health Officer, Minister Cummings, Ariane Mangar
The tumble form chairs act as a positioning alternative that keeps the child’s shoulders flexed to help better focus on fine motor activities. The chair also helps to maintain leg extension and reduce extensor thrust.
Chair padding allows the child to maintain sitting position for longer periods. One size fits children up through adolescence with a maximum height of 60″ (152cm).
Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Karen Cummings, in her address explained that after the first report of Microcephaly, the ministry took an active approach in addressing the issue by providing sensitization for parents and health care providers alike.
The Ministry met with several partnering ministries to draft an action plan for the issue. She reiterated the ministry’s commitment to providing that support system for the parents as there is social stigmatism attached to microcephaly.
The ministry stands committed to giving these babies access to an equitable healthcare system.
Acting Maternal and Child Health Care Officer, Dr. Oneika Scott, added that the contribution is a part of a larger approach to assisting mothers and babies.
Dr. Scott embraced the concept of working with these parents and helping them along the way whether financially or socially. She further explained that due to the developmental delay in children with microcephaly, parents are more likely to spend a lot more than they would on necessities.
A plan is currently in the making to provide a monthly substantial financial assistance to aid these parents.
“In the past we have done training for the mothers, we have had sensitization sessions, we have had support for medical billing for those mothers who live out of Georgetown, we have had individual rehab sessions, and we visited the homes of some of the mothers and showed the mothers how to do the exercises,” Scott said.
There is currently a support group, geared to assist parents in coping with the challenges that they may face in raising a child with microcephaly.
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