Entertainment of Sunday, 23 February 2014

Source: Gyasi Appiah

Nadia Buari pays bills for patients @ Korle Bu

“Give and it will come back to you. Good measure pressed down...” that is what the HOLY book says. Ghanaian actress Nadia Buari was at the Korle Bu teaching hospital to rescue some patients from their debt. Gyasi Appiah was there and he throws more light on it.

You have every reason to smile Nadia, for your kindness. The good book says blessed is the one who has compassion for the poor.

I was really moved when I heard that yesterday you were at Korle Bu to visit and foot the bills of some under privileged children in the facility particularly those with the condition of hydrocephalus.

Hydrocephalus is the medical term for a condition that is commonly called “water on the brain.” It is a combination of the Greek word “hydro,” which means water and “cephalus” which means head. But the liquid involved in hydrocephalus is not really water at all; it is cerebrospinal fluid or CSF.

Hydrocephalus occurs when the delicate balance of CSF production and absorption is disrupted and CSF builds up in the brain. This build-up of CSF causes the brain to swell, and for pressure to increase inside the skull, resulting in nerve damage.

Hydrocephalus is a lifelong condition in that the patient is treated rather than “cured.” Presently, there is no known way to prevent or cure hydrocephalus and shunts (a narrow tube that allows excess cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that has built-up inside the skull to drain out into another part of the body, such as the heart or abdomen (belly) is the primary method to treat it.

To drain excess CSF, shunts are inserted into an opening or pouch inside the brain called a ventricle, just above where the blockage is that is preventing the CSF from flowing properly).

The cost of shunt is prohibitive therefore you footing such bills mean you have a heart of Gold.

Indeed you are cast in the mood of your father, Alhaji Sidiku Buari. I remember several years ago when he was the President of Musigha and I a student of the Ghana Institute of Journalism. I needed someone from his outfit to appear on my programme at Meridian FM in Tema. His help and encouragement were tremendous.

There are countless people who have been destroyed by fame and fortune, through drug addiction and prodigal life. Our own Kiki Djan and several international stars, from sports, music, movies etc are examples. Therefore you choosing to invest your hard earned money to cater for children is a deed worthy of praise and emulation.

Even though I know this is not the first time and not the last you are doing it, I wish to express the joy and gratitude of the parents of the beneficiaries, myself and all Ghanaians.