He was brought to the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos by Good Samaritans seven years ago after he was injured in an accident. He has remained there ever since, becoming what many derisively refer to as ‘Igbobi landlord’. His name was simply given as Chinonso. He is now on a wheel chair, having lost the use of his legs. He also suffers from cerebral palsy, a disease which makes one think like a child. Though in his 20s, Chinonso still thinks and talks like a baby. According to the hospital, he has become a ‘nuisance’. Will anyone come to Chinonso’s aid? OLATUNDE ODEBIYI writes
IT is now seven years since he was admitted at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, (NOHIL). In all these years, he has been abandoned to his fate by his family.
Chinonso was hale and hearty until he had an accident on the Third Mainland Bridge, which left him disabled.
The bus he boarded rammed into another one and he was seriously injured. A Good Samaritan took him to NOHIL, where he has been housed for seven years.
Chinonso, in his twenties, is handicapped and he is also suffering from cerebral palsy.
None of his relatives has shown up since he was admitted.
Medical social worker, Mr Godwin Aikpitanyi said the hospital needs Chinonso’s family to cater for him.
The Hospital is also looking for non governmental organisations (NGOs) to adopt him, if his relatives cannot be located.
The accident left him disabled because of the fracture he suffered on his leg.
After treatment, Chinonso could not regain the use of his leg. He is now on a wheel chair.
Although he has been suffering from cerebral palsy (problem of the brain) from birth, he can still see, hear, talk and respond to moves in a little way.
Aikpitanyi said Chionso needs family care and can’t stay in the hospital forever; he needs a home where he can build his future.
Chinonso is in H Ward. He has bed space there and is occupying bed that other patients should use. The hospital has over the years been taking care of Chinonso.
Chinonso needs a home where he would get family care and access to special treatment given to people with cerebral palsy.
NOHIL’s Public Relations Officer (PRO) Mrs Ayo Nike said everybody in the hospital is there for one reason or the other. She said the hospital cannot give Chinonso all the attention he needs even though it is doing all it could to show him love. She said the hospital has been to the Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Sport Development in Alausa, Ikeja, and also to some NGOs, but none accepted Chinonso.
She said the only NGO that accepted Chinonso said it could only bring him in the morning and take him back at night. The hospital did not accept this arrangement because of the stress involved.
She said it is likely that Nonso’s family would have been looking for him for years. Anybody who knows Nonso or his relatives should please come to the hospital and take him back to them, she added.
Head, Medical Social Worker, Mrs. Victoria Okoruwa said Nonso sometimes disturbs patients and their relatives.
She said Nonso was found sprinkling his urine on people within the hospital. There is urgent need for Nonso to be taken away from this hospital so as to help him to live a better life.
Mrs. Okoruwa said: “We were able to find out from him that his name is Chinonso though all efforts to get his surname or father’s details about him failed due to the brain problem he is suffering from.”
According to her, the brain problem called “cerebral palsy” which Chinonso is suffering from is a genetic problem which makes a child no matter how old he is to behave like a baby. He cannot talk and reason like a normal child of his age would do. Cerebral palsy is a genetic thing, though prolonged labour, pregnancy complications and lack of proper care during pregnancy can increase the risk.
Head of nursing services,NOHIL, Mrs Morenike Adewale said the hospital also got information from Chinonso that his parents are somewhere in Agege area of Lagos State. She said the nursing services and management of the hospital had gone to the area to look for his parents or relatives who may know him, adding that they could not find anyone.
“After the fruitless search, we have take him to the psychiatric hospital the management made the payments,” she said.
Adewale said Chininso is also suffering from epilepsy, stressing that the hospital has been taking care of him.
“Chinonso is very nice and loving and wants to be loved. He wants to be asociated with by his people, we can see it that his soul seeks and cries to go home. He wants us to take him back home,” Adewale said.
