Mercy's Surgical Team provides surgery for CRC students

Wuyatu (right) and her mother (left), after her surgery at Mercy Hospital.

The Child Rescue Centre and Mercy Hospital have partnered together since Mercy officially opened in 2007.  The hospital has provided medical care to all CRC children enrolled in the program since that time. Now that Mercy’s surgical suite is open, Mercy has been able to provide crucial surgical interventions for many, including two different CRC students.

Wuyata, a CRC student attending SS1 at Njaboima Secondary School in Bo, began experiencing abdominal pain and fever in 2018. Unable to perform surgeries at that time as construction on the surgical suite was not complete, Mercy staff referred the family to Sowa clinic for surgery.  The family didn’t have the funds to pay for the surgery, so they opted to continue to provide Wuyata with medications for the pain and postponed surgery.

On a routine school to visit another CRC child attending the school, CRC Case Manager Victor Kanu discovered that Wuyata was not there, and immediately contacted her assigned Case Manager, Amie Nallo.  Amie visited Wuyata at home and realized immediately that she was very ill, and advised the family to bring her back to Mercy as quickly as possible. Mercy’s new Surgical Health Officer, Dr. Laurence Kargbo, examined her and discovered that the problem was a hernia, and prepared her for surgery.  

During the operation, the doctor discovered that Wuyata actually had a bilateral hernia, but the decision was made to conduct a second surgery a month later after she had recovered from the first procedure.  Wuyata recovered well, and eagerly returned to school. “All I have to say is thank you lord and for CRC supporting me to go through this surgery, and Mercy for doing the surgery successfully.” She is scheduled to have the second procedure in a month, and is hopeful that she would be able to return to school in time to take her promotional exam.

In March, Isatu, a student in SS2 at Queen of the Rosary School recently complained of abdominal pain to her caregiver, who brought her to Mercy to be seen by Community Health Worker, Henrietta Baby Sitta.  Sitta quickly realized that the cause was her appendix, which needed to be removed. Isatu’s appendix was successfully removed by Dr. Amara and the surgical team at Mercy, in one of Mercy’s new operating theatres.  

Isatu spent 4 days at Mercy recovering, and the CRC staff visited her at Mercy to check on her recovery.  Her mother Margaret expressed her gratitude for both the CRC and Mercy staff. “I thank God and the staff at CRC and at Mercy for working together to restore the health of my child.”  Isatu was able to return to school a week later.

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Isatu returned to school after recovering from her appendectomy at Mercy Hospital.