By: Problyn J Alpha
The sister nurse in charge at the pediatric ward at the koidu Government hospital staff Hawa Williams has in an interview with A-Z maintained that the ingestion of sodium hydroxide or caustic soda and fire accidents among children are on the increase in KONO District.
This was disclosed to A-Z when the nurse was updating this medium on the challenges the pediatric ward at the koidu Government hospital is faced with. When asked to know the causes of the ugly development?
Staff Hawa Williams noted that lack of monitoring and proper caring by some parents are some of the major factors responsible for the aforesaid ugly developments at the koidu Government hospital and kono District as a whole.
She added that, most of the parents especially the mothers who are supposed to be taken Good care of the infant babies at home are often ignoring their responsibilities. She further pleaded with parents that trade in caustic soda not to litter the ground with the plastic that contains the chemical, rather they should burn the plastic for the safety of the children as they are vulnerable and ignorant of the adverse effects or dangers of contacting the liquid or solid form of the chemical hence, the chemical during production should be kept out of the reach of children She stated.
Staff Williams further intimated that they have referred a good number of patients to Freetown whose conditions were beyond them for better treatment which according to her entails money and sometimes may result to the death of the child or children. While talking on the effects of fire on children from zero to thirty six months, the nurse in charge of the pediatric ward koidu Government hospital maintained that when children come in contact with fire or hot water, it sometimes only burn the first layer of the skin which according to her provides the first barrier of protection from the invasion of substances into the body.
He added that sometimes the fire burns unto the dermis and periosteum which are the second and third layers of the skin.
She therefore implored all and sundry not to apply traditional herbs wherever someone experiences burning, rather they should go to the hospital for professional treatment. In response to the allegation of some parents being responsible for the spate of the ingestion of sodium hydroxide and fire accidents among children in the District, at least two of the parents whose children are currently admitted at the koidu Government hospital pediatric ward, Susan Pessima and Fayia Kawasu Mansaray noted that they don’t want to accept the blame of being responsible for the pain their children are going through as a result of burning because it was never a premeditated thing stating they were not even around the time the accident occurred. They however thanked and appreciated the efforts of the workers at the koidu Government hospital especially the nurses at the pediatric ward for taken Good care of them and their children.