As her condition continues to worsen… MOH abandons dental victim

Business

The family and friends of Fatmata Turay, the 17 year-old dental victim is calling on Government to look into her medical condition, as they have written several letters to the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MOHS) but nothing has been done. “We have written over five letters to the Ministry for medical and financial support, but they have not done anything and Fatmata continues to languish with her cancer painfully devouring her facial bone structure” Harriett Danjaji, her sponsor said. She also said that she had made countless phone calls and visits to them, updating them about the girls condition and also asking them for medical advice and financial help but that the authorities have refused to respond or even pay the girl a visit, to observe her condition “and she is a Sierra Leonean who has right to proper health care.” Also she said , a letter has also been written to the Sierra Leone Medical and Dental council on behalf of the family for them to institute an investigation into the conduct of the first two doctors who Fatmata saw over a year ago. Harriett stated that the “family is of the firm opinion that those doctors who performed unnecessary and dangerous procedures which they believe are largely responsible for Fatmata’s current medical condition should be investigated and punished. They also believed that if the Chief Dental Officer, Dr. Patrick Don Davies had immediately referred Fatmata to the relevant specialist in Sierra Leone after he learnt about her cancer, her chances of recovery would have been much greater.” Disclosing that “since December 2012, every doctor they had taken her to keeps on saying the same thing, ‘if she had taken Fatmata to them earlier, her chances of being successfully treated would have been very high.’” Danjaji said that currently, “Fatmata is being taken care of solely by me with some times help from kind donors. She needs special diet and medical treatment to keep her alive and there is a high cost associated with Fatmata’s upkeep.” Since nothing has been done so far to address her cancer condition, Fatmata’s mother has been compelled to leave her job to give Fatmata the 24- hour care that she needs. The mother of Fatmata, Isha, looks forward to the “operation of Olive Branch International/ GGM, a cancer center in the country, through the collaboration of the first lady Sia Koroma. I am happy to see that the First Lady is taking a timely interest in cancer sufferers like Fatmata.” Danjaji said “poverty should not be an excuse for justice to be delayed or denied to our citizens, this works contrary to the president’s laudable agenda for prosperity.” Below is one of the letters written to the MOHS without any response from them. Attached is a copy of the letter to the Ministry of Health. By Betty Milton

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