A 16-year-old boy has sustained severe acid burns after a tenant poured a corrosive substance on him over a misunderstanding with his dad.

According to Andy, he had tried to stop the tenant from attacking his [Andy’s] father when the substance which was contained in a bucket was poured on him and four others in his family on February 15, 2016.

Background

Andy says the tenant, Suleyman Yuguda signed a two-year agreement with his father but allegedly forged the tenancy documents to extend his stay in the house, at Kwashieman, a suburb of Accra to four years.

But with the original documents, Andy said the family reported the incident officers at the Hong Kong Police post.

“A day before the case went to court; he picked a fight with my father around 10:00pm on that day. At some point, he went into his room and brought a bucket full of the substance.”

“I did not know he had acid in the bucket, he poured it on me and did same to my father, my siblings and one other tenant. I realized that my dress and my skin were burning” he narrated to Joy News’ Beatrice Adu.

His father, two other relatives and another tenant suffered acid burns but Andy’s was severe as he suffered burns on his arms, chest, stomach, and legs.

The suspect, Suleyman Yuguda is currently on the run.

Treatment

His father, his elder brother, his younger sister and the other tenant have been treated and discharged but Andy has since been on admission at the Korle-bu Teaching Hospital.

A nurse in charge of the Burns Unit at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Doris Adjei Ntakor, revealed that all three layers of Andy’s skin layers have been affected.

She said some part of the wounds have been infected with maggots as he is unable to afford the cost involved in changing the bandages three times a week.

Joy News Beatrice Adu reported that nurses advised that she put on a nose mask to be able to enter his ward as the place stunk badly.

“He changes it twice every week and that costs ¢500 and he has to be here for at least three weeks,” the nurse indicated, adding that Andy’s situation requires a surgery.

The surgery (grafting) according to her will cost at least ¢3,000.00.

But Andy’s family say they don’t know how long they can continue to pay the huge medical bills as he battles to overcome his extensive injuries.