Paralysed man receives help from Vodafone

Vodafone Healthline has pledged support for a mechanic who became paralysed shortly after feeling pains in his arm.

The Healthline, which is the healthcare initiative of Vodafone Ghana Limited, pledged to support Daniel Akonor, a husband and a father of four, to undergo surgery to bring him back on his feet.

Narrating the story on the 10th episode of the 10th edition of the show, Mr Akonor said during the lockdown, he felt pains in his arms, which progressed rapidly.

Alarmed by this, Mr Akonor then travelled to his village for traditional help but to no avail.

He then visited a herbalist in Koforidua, who diagnosed his condition as stroke.

“So, I came back to Accra and went to the Achimota Hospital, where doctors told me I was not suffering from stroke and referred me to Korle Bu,” he added.

According to him, there, the doctors identified a problem with his spine, saying there was a blockage in his vein preventing the flow of blood, which required surgery to rectify.

Vodafone’s role

It was through a family friend that Mr Akonor got in touch with the healthline for support.

Mr Akonor said Vodafone readily agreed to foot all his medical bills, to the relief of his entire family.

The couple expressed their profound gratitude to Vodafone for the timely intervention.

Back at the studio

The host and her panellists deliberated on some of the possible causes of Mr Akonor’s condition.

A Cardiologist, Dr Aba Folson, said the ailment could be as a result of compression of the spinal cord by an external structure irritating the nerves that supply blood to the hands and the lower limbs.

For his part, a general medical practitioner, Dr Kwekuma Yalley, explained how infections or external shocks could affect the spine causing it to malfunction.

He therefore advised viewers to pay attention to their sitting and sleeping postures in order to avoid such cases.

Diabetes

As part of the episode, a doctor with the National Cardiothoracic Centre, Dr Florence Koryo Akomeah, described diabetes as a chronic disease, which affected how the body managed food by converting it into energy.

She said even though there were many types, the most common were types one and two diabetes, adding that any of them could occur in adolescents or children.

Symptoms, Effects & Management

Dr Akomeah said some symptoms of diabetes included getting thirsty quickly, urinating at short intervals and increased appetite or eating a lot.

She also said diabetes caused immune suppression, putting them at risk of infections; blindness and stroke.

Dr Akomeah therefore, stated that the management of diabetes in adolescents was a multidisciplinary condition, where different types of specialists such as psychologists, dieticians and different other doctors might be required as well as the family and the patient themselves.

“You have to also educate the patient on the condition so that he or she does not get anxious, which could lead to stress and worsen the condition,” she added.

 

Source: Graphic