10 Echo Monday August 30, 2010 echo-news.co.uk Echo COMMENT Poorest patients are New hope to revive given fighting chance seafront Doctor from GREAT many Southend dreams died south Essex Awith the onset of the recession. brings hope Perhaps the biggest casualty turned out to be Marine Plaza, the casino and hotel to Africa’s complex planned for the Golden Mile. epileptics The scheme disappeared from the radar when the By EMMA PALMER development company [email protected] behind it, JBR Leisure, went into liquidation. HEN you live in a Marine Plaza had the country where stay- potential to give a huge ing alive is a day-to- boost to this fine seafront day struggle, condi- site, and was regarded as W the key to the regeneration tions like epilepsy are at the of the entire Golden Mile. bottom of the priority list. “It could be like the domino In the West African country of effect in reverse,” the Echo Sierra Leone, more than 50,000 declared two years ago. people suffer from the often life- threatening illness. “Once this building has However, unlike in the UK, they risen, others could pop up have no medication, get no sup- in a line along this stretch port and are sometimes shunned of seafront.” by their fellow villagers who think Now, instead of boasting a they’ve been “possessed by the fine new building, the site devil” because of their uncontrol- casts a forlorn shadow lable seizures. across its neighbours. But that’s all changing, thanks Yet there is new hope for to the efforts of one man, a top the Marine Plaza site, as the consultant from Basildon ■ Waiting – long queues of people can often be found at Dr Lisk’s clinic in Freetown, Sierrra Leone Echo reveals today. Hospital. ate a living income and more like- Many believe that during these Dr Radcliffe Lisk has set up The country has A London-based group has ly to live in extreme poverty.” attacks people should keep clear Sierra Leone’s first epilepsy clin- bought the land for The scale of need for Dr Lisk’s of the sufferer and avoid contact some of the ic, in Freetown. £2million. Nobody knows help is so huge that, at each clinic with all body fluids, especially The medic has been praised for how Goldfield Developments session he holds, people travel saliva, which is widely believed to poorest health his work at Basildon Hospital, plans to make use of the many miles hoping to be seen. be “contagious”. where he established an award- indicators in the site. But the opportunity to Dr Lisk added: “Epilepsy rates As a result, the patient is often winning epilepsy service for make the location a success are substantially higher in Sierra left unattended and may end up world, including the south Essex. story has not gone away. Leone than in Western European with severe injuries, such as frac- ‘ Dr Lisk, who is on an unpaid, 12- worst maternal Nor has the potential to countries because of a range of tures or burns, or even die from month sabbatical in Sierra Leone, regenerate this stretch of factors including birth trauma, simple causes like obstructed mortality rates has worked with the Lumley seafront, a process which cerebral malaria and the conse- breathing or inhalation of vomit. Government Hospital, in collabo- has already begun, despite quences of meningitis, as well as Dr Lisk said: “Many families ration with UK charity Medical her time indoors, reluctant to go the recession. At the other injuries relating to the country’s spend large sums of money on Assistance Sierra Leone, to get to the market, and has accepted end of the Golden Mile, the ten-year war.” local healers to try to cure the the project off the ground. advice not to use the village well reopening of the historic In the UK, epileptics are treated epilepsy. He is working to establish a for fear of falling in during an Palace hotel has begun the with respect, but in Sierra Leone, “Traditional indigenous medi- comprehensive diagnosis and epileptic attack.” process. the sudden onset in an otherwise cine employs herbal remedies, rit- treatment facility, and train local However, thanks to Dr Lisk and Today’s good news from the normal person raises suspicion uals, spiritual cures or combina- doctors and nurses. his team, Mamusu has now been Marine Plaza site could they have been possessed by some tions of all these.” Dr Lisk, who grew up in Sierra counselled on risks and safety accelerate it. supernatural force. One of the patients Dr Lisk has Leone, said: “There is very little issues and given medication to been able to treat so far is 25-year- understanding of epilepsy in take regularly. old Mamusu, who is illiterate and Sierra Leone. As a result she is gaining confi- TIP-OFFS, QUERIES, was accompanied to the epilepsy “It is very rarely diagnosed, dence and finally starting to live clinic by her ailing mother and COMPLAINTS there is little medication available with her condition. younger sister. THE Echo is your paper and we want and sufferers are often socially Mamusu started school at the your story tip-offs and details of excluded from their communities. events in your community. age of six, but after only one year “The country has some of the Contact our reporters at she was forced to leave because HOW YOU poorest health indicators in the [email protected] or phone she started becoming uncon- world, including the worst mater- 01702 321159 or 01268 469308. scious. nal mortality rates and high CAN HELP If you have a query or complaint Dr Lisk said: “Her sister said about editorial content, e-mail infant mortality. the attacks usually start with ● [email protected] or phone the “The scale of the need is THE clinic needs a special shouting, followed by foaming at editor on 01268 469373. huge and there are large machine, called an electroen- the mouth and shaking. This left For other newspaper contacts, numbers of patients wait- cephalogram, to make the including advertising and newspaper no doubt she was suffering from ing at each session, many diagnosis of epilepsy more deliveries, see the panel on P2. epilepsy. more than can be treated. effective and accurate. The paper is published by Newsquest “On examining her, she was “In Sierra Leone, peo- This small, portable Essex and is independent of political embarrassed to expose the machine is used with a laptop, parties, private interest groups and ple with epilepsy are extensive scarring on her government. If significant errors are less likely to receive an and costs £14,500. right thigh from burns brought to our attention, we correct education or to gener- Dr Lisk is trying to raise the them promptly and, when acquired a few years ago money. Anyone wishing to appropriate, apologise. The Echo while cooking on an open make a donation can visit supports the Press Complaints ■ Providing support fire. www.masierraleone.org.uk Commission Code of Practice. For details, log on to www.pcc.org.uk – Dr Radcliffe Lisk “She now spends most of