The Cross River State government, Nigerian Medical
Association and the Nigerian Red Cross have teamed with
the Club Foot Project to ensure that a child, who is popularly
known as the 'boy with the Club Foot' in Ekpeneki community
in Odukpani LGA receive proper medical treatment.
Anthony Peter is suffering from a medical condition called
Talipes which is commonly known as Club Foot. His condition
was initially misdiagnosed as Polio.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Inyang Asibong led
the state Epidemiology team headed by Mrs. Patience Uke to
conduct a sensitization exercise at the community and also
to bring the child to the University of Calabar Teaching
Hospital where he is currently undergoing a correction
process on the leg.
"We have a lot of these types of communities, hard to reach
communities, in Cross river state," said Dr. Ashibong.
"I’m glad we’ve been able to experience firsthand what these
communities are like and what it is to get here, to get access,
to get health commodities to these communities."
"The child is suffering from a medical condition called Talipes
which is commonly known as Club Foot.
And there’s real
hope because the child is still a baby, he’s barely two years
old. At this point the bones are not fused meaning something
can be done even right here in Cross River State. The boy’s
mother confirmed that her baby was vaccinated upon delivery
in 2015, putting to rest further the Poliomyelitis rumor. "It
became necessary for the health team to come and take the
child for treatment because of the need to improve the life of
the little child given the lack of proper orientation in the
community.
"We had to come ourselves to make sure the child is actually
taken for treatment because the community has a difficult
terrain and there’s a possibility of not taking the child for
medical care if we don’t come ourselves" she said.
