Ghanaians with congenital abnormalities such as cleft lips and palate, post-burns complications, ulcers, trauma burns, overly enlarged breasts and chronic ulcers no longer need to worry much about their plight.

They do not need to go underground or hide from the rest of Society because the Department of Plastic Surgery at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Ghana's premier medical school, provides a ready answer.

The Department came into being, thanks to the magnanimity of a Scottish surgeon, benevolent organisations and the government.

Previously, all such cases were sent abroad for treatment and huge sums of hard currency were spent on patients and some members of their families who accompanied them.

Where a patient could not afford the cost of treatment, the government and individuals assisted by contributing monies to cover the cost for the patient to undergo the treatment abroad.

It was therefore a great joy when the Scottish plastic surgeon, Prof. Jack Mustarde, arrived in the country in 1992 to perform the first few operations at the Maternity Block of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

After his visit, he concluded that Ghana needed to develop its own local expertise. In partnership with other interested medical practitioners and development workers, both in Ghana and Scotland, including Prof. E.D. Yeboah, then head of the Surgical Department, the hospital started raising funds to build, equip and operate a new 73-bed unit.

The Ghana Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Centre was successfully completed in 1997 at a cost of 450,000 pounds sterling from contributions by the governments of Ghana and Japan, the European Union, the Rotary Club of West Scotland, Ghanaian and Scottish organisations.

Equipment for the wards and theatres were procured at 180,000 pounds and 135,000 dollars respectively with additional funds for the training of Ghanaian surgeons abroad.

For example, plastic surgeons from the UK, particularly Scotland, contributed expertise. One of them, Mr Bainbridge, moved to Ghana to help in the running of the unit in the initial stages.

President Jerry John Rawlings, who was the brain behind the project, had the honour to commission it, thanks to the supporting groups and donors.

At the moment, the centre has a plastic surgery, leg ulcer and burns units. It also has three consultants, three doctors and a few other para-medical staff.

By mid-September, this year, it had performed 339 major operations and 141 minor ones. These include a 14-year-old girl who had unusually large breasts, which made her unable to stand, sit or wear a dress.

She underwent surgery to remove the unusual lump in her breasts. The operation was successfully done to get her normal breasts though she cannot breast-feed in future.

In an interview, the girl said she was very happy to have gone through the operation because her "situation was more than hell since she could not behave like a normal human being, let alone socialise".

The practice of plastic surgery in Ghana became popular in 1993 during the outbreak of the deadly Buruli Ulcer, which devastated some districts in the Ashanti and Western Regions.

The greater number of patients who benefited from the services of the centre saved the government from bearing the cost of treatment abroad.

Unfortunately, officials at the centre say cases of human bites are also becoming common with victims of such cases reporting at the centre on daily basis.

"These cases", according to Dr. Charles Annan, a Medical Officer at the centre, "are even more dangerous than dog bites because they lead to infections and other complications due to the high concentration of germs and other micro-organisms in the mouth".

He said people turn up with severed noses, lips and ears, adding "such cases are on the increase due to stress and intolerance associated with the high cost of living and other socio-economic problems".

The medical officer said cases of congenital deformities and other birth defects, which are common, can easily be corrected if affected babies are brought to the centre for prompt attention.

"It is regrettable that most parents hide their babies until they are adults after which they seek treatment by which time it becomes more complicated."

Experts say these deformities occur when the mother comes into contact with certain chemicals during pregnancy and does not go for regular antenatal check-ups.

"In view of this, women are advised to go for regular ante- natal clinics and stay away from chemicals," says Dr. Annan.

The Ghanaian centre also treats patients from Burkina Faso, Benin, Togo, Cote d'Ivoire and other countries. Unfortunately, its equipment are in shambles due to pressure while the building itself is in a state of disrepair.

Even though the problem of sending patients abroad for treatment has been remarkably brought to a minimal level, the state of affairs at the centre now requires government to put in place measures that would adequately improve its services.