Sickle cell patients have been urged to report early and regularly to hospital to get the needed support and treatment to avoid early death.

The appeal came from a medical officer at the Sickle Cell Clinic of the Ghana Institute of Clinical Genetics at the Korle bu Teaching Hospital, Dr William Ghunney, when he appeared on Ghana Yensom, Accra100.5FM’s morning show, Friday June 17.

He said persons with sickle cell anaemia should consider themselves as healthy as others and adopt the necessary measures to stay healthy always.

Sickle cell is an inheritable red blood cell disorder where sufferers have a rigid and abnormal or sickle-shaped haemoglobin – the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body – instead of the usual flexible and round-shaped cells. The shape of sickle cells hampers their ability to supply vital oxygen to the tissues of the body, with the result that persons with the condition suffer pain called crises and often require visits to hospital for effective treatment.

Sickle cell Disease (SCD) can also result in sores on legs that never heal, frequent joint pains, kidney disease, having legs of unequal length, and even blindness, and other serious conditions.

SCD can only be reversed by a successful bone marrow transplant, though several treatments exist for assuaging the conditions and Dr Ghunney has, thus, urged persons living with SCD to take advantage of the situation and seek early and frequent help.

“If you take good care of yourself, you can live for long. I know of patients of over 70 years. Some people die of sickle cell earlier than they should probably because they report too late to hospital for regular check-ups. If you have sickle cell disease, know that you are no different person from any other person. The crises may come but there are ways to prevent the crises,” Dr Ghunney advised.