Report from Sierra Leone - May 2017

Christ the King Hospital, Waterloo

During our March visit to Sierra Leone we toured the site of Christ the King Hospital in Waterloo. Our partner in Sierra Leone, Caritas-Freetown had been offered the facility and construction of a hospital and laboratory had been completed. Caritas-Freetown plans to operate the hospital as a children’s hospital treating patients 1-15 years old and antenatal care for women.

The town of Waterloo served as a refugee camp during the decade-long civil war and was one of the worst areas hit during the Ebola crisis.

Specific services to be offered are comprehensive reproductive and sexual health (antenatal, postnatal and natural family planning), preventive child health (growth monitoring, immunization and nutritional feeding programs), health education, and health promotion.

Simple diagnostic tests will be offered in order to detect and treat common diseases and conditions such as malaria, skin diseases, respiratory infections, anemia, and malnutrition. Treatment of injuries, dressing wounds, observation of very sick children and providing basic first aid in emergencies will also be provided at the hospital.

CourtyardatChristtheKingHospital

Staffpreparescheduleforoperations

Currently efforts are underway to acquire the equipment and medicines required to open the facility and begin providing these much needed services.

In the meantime, however, Caritas-Freetown along with ACISS Doctors from Spain held a very successful five-day surgical intervention for the residents of Waterloo during the last week of April.

HealeyIRF provided financial support and staff from our Monsignor Daniel Sullivan Clinic in Newton assisted the Doctors from Spain.

A total of 60 surgeries were conducted. The majority of surgeries were herniotomies (repair to the

hernia) but there was one appendectomy. There were several cases of lipoma (benign tumor) removal.

The ACISS doctors plan future visits and there is currently a list of those seeking surgeries for the next visit. One of the priority items to acquire for the hospital is an oxygen machine, as this will allow surgical procedures to be provided to children.

PicturedleftArchbishopEdwardTambaCharlesvisitspatientsaftersurgeryandpicturedrightvisitingdoctorsfromACISShadarewardingweekatChristtheKingHospitalandarereadytoreturn.

FatherPeterKonteh,ExecutiveDirectorCaritas-Freetown(2ndrow/2ndfromtheleft)andACISSDoctors

fromSpainwithmedicalstafffromlocalclinics.