World Sickle Cell Day: Patients Ask For Sickle Cell Centers

The founder and leader of ANAQ Foundation for Sickle Cell and Nutrition, Ama Nyarko Attafua Quainoo, has pleaded with the government to set up sickle cell centers at the various health institutions across Ghana for sickle cell patients to have quick medical attention when in crises.

She explained that sickle cell patients have limited time to survive when not given immediate medical attention when in crises because the pains they go through are unbearable that can cause death within a short time, so having their own centers or clinics will facilitate their medical attention.

Ama Nyarko Attafua Quainoo, who is a sickle cell patient, made the appeal in an interview on Otec FM’s midday news on Tuesday, June 19, 2018, to mark the World Sickle Cell Day.

World Sickle Cell Day is celebrated every year on 19^th of June around the world to raise public awareness about the fatal disease to get effective control over the situation.

“We go to the hospitals, whether for checkups or in crises, we join the queue as other patients do, which sometimes it’s very fatal because when we are sick or in crises we need urgent medical attention to reduce the pains we go through. The pains are so unbearable that you may try to commit suicide to end your life. We thus appeal to the government through the Ministry of Health (MOH) to set up sickle cell centers at the various hospitals or health facilities, especially, for the sickle cell patients.

The ace broadcast journalist, also advised her fellow sickle cell patients to live lives as prescribed by their medical doctors, especially avoiding self medication, to avoid falling into ‘unwanted crises’.

“Born as a sickle patient is not the end of life, every sickle cell patient can live longer life like any other person if we take our medicines regularly, eat healthy foods like fruits, avoid smoking of cigar, alcohol and do regular medical checkups, not to expose the body to cold temperatures and having enough rest after work,” she added.