Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Centre records increase in cases
The Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Centre of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital recorded a little over 300 cases between January and May, this year.
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The figure represents a 50 per cent rise over the 200 cases recorded within the same period last year.
Providing the statistics in Accra yesterday, the Director of the Centre, Dr Opoku Ware Ampomah, said out of the total number recorded this year, 35 per cent of the burns were as a result of domestic gas explosion, with 51 per cent of the victims being children.
He was speaking to journalists after the management of Toyota Ghana presented six air-conditioners and three flat screen television sets worth GH¢30,000 to the centre to help improve the general outlook of the centre.
Causes
Dr Ampomah attributed the increase in cases to lack of proper education among the public in dealing with situations that resulted in burns.
He explained that the problem was normally caused by carelessness by people who were engaged in various forms of activities that were injurious to their bodies.
“Almost all the burns cases brought to the centre are preventable,” he added.
Dr Ampomah said cases that were reported to the centre included injuries to the face, limbs, nerves, tendons, blood vessels, skin cancers, contractures, birth anomalies, hand deformities, and problems resulting from the use of certain cosmetics.
He indicated that although the centre had made efforts to use various platforms to educate the public about ways to avoid burns, nothing meaningful had been achieved.
“The centre is limited because of the inadequate resources. We need the support of the media to highlight these issues else it will keep increasing,” he said.
Dr Ampomah commended the management of Toyota Ghana Limited for their consistent assistance to the centre for the past 12 years.
Toyota determined.
The Managing Director of Toyota Ghana Limited, Mr Takuya Kajiura, said the donation formed part of the corporate social responsibility of the company.
He said the company, for the past nine years, had undertaken a number of projects at the centre to improve health delivery.
Mr Kajiura added that the company was committed to helping the management to address some of the challenges confronting their centre.
