Ignorance? Neglect? Cluelessness?...

Sometimes I really wonder why people do what they do here.
What are they thinking?
And why?
How can they take so much risk with the lives of little children?
I am shocked by the number of children abandoned by their parents here.
And frustrated that they sit at home so long with sick children.

Today I saw a 4 year old boy in the clinic.
He came with an aunt.
He was abandoned by his mother 1 year ago.
And now lives with his granny.
When I saw him today, he weighed 14 kg.
He looked like a skeleton.
And had a very sad expression on his face.
He had skin changes, brittle hair and oral thrush.
I was shocked to hear that his condition was pretty much like that for the past year.
Why had they not taken him anywhere?
Could they not see that his condition was only getting worse.
Apparently the granny was giving him traditional medicine.
Well, now he is acutely ill too, with a temperature of 39.3 Celsius.
Are they now thinking that with one visit to the hospital he'll get better?
I tried to make it clear that I would do what I could, but that they need to take responsibility.
Giving medication, feeding him properly, doing further tests, coming for follow-up visits.

I wonder what will happen to this child.
He is to go for further tests tomorrow.
And to come and see me again on Monday.
Will his family follow through?
Will they make this child's health a priority?
Will this child, after a year of being sick, finally get better???
I'll find out soon enough...