The Messenger has recieved a letter from a local resident questioning comments made by Inspector Ekwubiri of the Burngreave New Deal police team.
In the article "Humiliated under arrest" (September 2006, issue 64), we reported on the arrest and humiliation of Jason, a sufferer of sickle cell anaimia.
Inspector Ekwubiri was asked by the Messenger if the police had any policies around sickle cell anaimia that would affect the way officers would deal with the incident, who told us:
“I have sickle cell anaemia trait which is known to my colleagues. The man was struggling violently and my officers responded accordingly, they are all trained in first aid. Had he shown signs of distress, he would have been treated accordingly. Safety of all is a priority.”
The Messenger has received the following letter in response:
Dear Messenger,
In the article “Humiliated under arrest”, Inspector Ekwubiri says that he too is a sickle cell carrier and that all his colleagues are aware of this.
Fortunately for Inspector Ekwubiri he is only a carrier, and so does not and will not suffer as those who carry the full disorder as Jason does, along with so many other people in Sheffield, some of whom have died from a severe crisis.
The only time it can become a danger for Inspector Ekwubiri is if he has children with someone else who is also a carrier – the possibilities of them having a child with the full sickle cell disorder is then very high. But otherwise it will not affect him in his daily life or his children if he has any.
Inspector Ekwubiri’s blood cells will able to move around his body with no obstructions as he is only a carrier, but for those with the full order their blood cells are a very different shape, causing cells to get stuck together and cause an obstruction (See diagram).
