People with sickle cell disease are still being fired from their jobs because there is no understanding of this disease. According to one of the sickle cell ambassadors in Suriname and the United States of America, Andressa Hunsel, two people have recently lost their jobs due to the fact that they were hospitalized more often due to the pain crisis. It is therefore also the case that people with sickle cell disease more often suffer from low sage.
The problem of employees being laid off is also the case in the rest of the world. Recently, a process was started to translate the information about sickle cell disease into Sranan, Saamaka and Aukanisi. It is important that people in the far interior also understand what sickle cell disease is. The initiative to help society through infomercials comes from Hunsel and Nicole Oldenstam. These ladies are more often confronted with a language barrier when people are introduced to sickle cell anemia for the first time.
From January this year, it is possible for older sickle cell patients to be taken in for treatment at the Sint Vincentius Hospital. According to Hunsel, patients do not need to have health insurance to be treated in the crisis treatment room. The room offers space for six people at the same time to be helped during a crisis period. Talks are already underway to expand the space.
For Giënchy Maabo, it was a pleasure to talk about sickle cell disease in his own language, Saramaccan. In the beginning it was difficult for him and his parents to understand what this disease means. It is important that the information continues to reach society at different levels. The intention is that the elders within the villages themselves should receive the information and understand what sickle cell disease is.
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