Hydrocephalous patients on increase in Malawi

Nuoro- Nurse at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Efrida Kaunda says the number of hydrocephalus patients is increasing in the country, especially in Mangochi and Mulanje districts.

Kaunda said most of the patients who are treated at the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QUEENS) are from the two districts.

Hydrocephalus is a condition whereby cerebral spinal fluid is accumulated in the head resulting into swelling of the head of a human being.

Mostly the condition is caused by post meningitis, post malaria, brain tumor and spinal bilfida to mention but a few. In Malawi post meningitis is the main cause, according to Kaunda.

Kaunda said it was saddening to note that  most of the parents instead of taking their patients to the hospital for treatment,  they  take them to witchdoctors, saying it was now high time people realised that such diseases are  treatable at  the hospital.

“We put a tube  in the head to drain the fluid in the head through operation,” said Kaunda.

She said the tube is called a shunt and it helps to keep the head from growing further as it drains the water in it.

The Nuro Nurse said it is better to take these patients to hospital when the condition has just occurred  because one can die if he or she is  not taken to the  hospital on time.

“ One can die if he is not taken to the hospital immediately because  the condition also damages the brain, so it is good to take them to the hospital just as it occurs,” she said.

Kaunda explained that she also helped those kids that had spinal bilfida on how they can deal with the condition.

Spinal bilfida is a condition whereby one has a wound at the back and fails to control urine and feaces. The condition is caused by lack of folic acid found in vegetables and other fruits like carrots in the body.

Only QUEENS treats the hydrocephalus and the spinal bilfida.–Mana

Tagged with: Hydrocephalous, Queens

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