In the late 1950s Minamata Bay, Japan became contaminated with mercury from a nearby factory manufacturing the chemical acetaldehyde (Chisso Corporation's chemical waste pipe). 

‎The mercury was biotransformed by bacteria in the water into methylmercury, or organic mercury, that bioaccumulated and biomagnified in the muscle of fish.

‎First, local cats that ate the fish began to stagger about and die. Then, the local population of people that depended on fish were affected, particularly developing fetuses and children. Over two thousand people died, and thousands more experienced crippling injuries.  

‎Mercury dumped into the bay concentrated and returned with tragic consequences. 

‎Dr Ohemeng Anokye, the clinic coordinator of the Chiraa Government Hospital in the Bono region has observed that Ghana will soon battle with congenital diseases if the fight against illegal mining is not intensified and tackled with all the might in the country.

‎He said the situation that occured during the minamata disease outbreak in Japan is not different as the continuous use of mercury by illegal miners and the pollution of the river bodies could cause same in Ghana.

‎Dr Anokye explained that there's a hidden tragedy of galamsey in the maternity ward unless the nation continue to fight against the menace.

‎The medical luminary stressed that once a pregnant woman eat mercury-contaminated fish, the life of the unborn baby is at risk because the placenta is not a barrier to environmental contaminants and that the fetus is exquisitely sensitive to mercury.

‎Sharing the worrying negative effect of illegal mining on newborns, Dr Anokye indicated that, there is the surge in the cases of children born with congenital diseases.

‎He highlighted that, some newborns suffer from Down syndrome, a condition where a person has an extra copy of chromosome 21, leading to intellectual and physical differences.

‎He added that, some are also born with Cleft lip and/or cleft palate which is a condition where the lip or palate doesn't close completely during fetal development. 

‎Dr Anokye, speaking on Sompa FM in Sunyani's 'Ghana Nkommo' program, a late afternoon socio political show that airs on Thursdays said, "there is gradually an increase in cases of hole in heart or malformed heart valves among newborns."

‎"Neural tube defects like spina bifida occur when the spinal cord doesn't close properly, there's also general muscle weakness in newly born babies a damage to their hearing and speech."

‎He warn that the situation (congenital diseases) in newborns which is mild could be severe if galamsey activities that is polluting the nation's water bodies is not stopped.

‎Sompaonline.com/Akua Nyarko