Blog Archives

Outreach patient delivers at Mercy Hospital

12/11/2018

Fanta Kargbo with her newborn boy

First-time mother Fanta Kargbo, was only 18 years old when she enrolled in Mercy Hospital’s Prenatal Program at one of the outreach team’s trips to her village in Bandajuma in July. Ever since then, she has attended each monthly outreach to check the progress of her pregnancy, and was encouraged to give birth at Mercy when the time came.

She arrived at Mercy one morning in October, experiencing labor pains (which had been going on for some time). She was suffering from prolonged labor and finally gave birth to a healthy baby boy after 5 pm. According to the Mercy’s State Certified Midwife, Christiana Tommy, “it was not easy because she is a first time delivery. She was having trouble pushing and we had to encourage her. We thank God for her being at Mercy where we were able to provide her so much assistance. There were five of us helping her!”

When asked what the fate of Fanta and her baby would have been had she attempted to give birth in the village, the normally cheerful midwife became unusually solemn. “It would have been a problem because she was having difficulty pushing and she needed help. They would have forced her to push and that could have led to a fistula or even the death of the baby. We were able to encourage her, give her a catheter, and stitch up her tear so that she did not get fistula or any other problem.”

Christiana is referring to a basic lack of qualified personnel in the villages. While a village may have a Traditional Birth Attendant (TBA), this person is someone who likely has very little to no formal education (not even primary school), but has some basic training in childbirth, and can deliver under normal, uncomplicated circumstances. Many of the village clinics do not have midwives or TBAs, and may only be staffed by a nurse not necessarily trained in childbirth.

Fanta, clearly still exhausted the next day, was also very excited to welcome her new baby into the world. She could not stop smiling as she shared, “I am okay now, thanks to Mercy. I am so happy that my baby is safe."

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Mercy treats sick child during village outreach

12/10/2018

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Foday Koroma Jr. (12 months) is enrolled in Mercy Hospital’s Nutrition Program, and has been receiving Pikinmix (a healthy meal supplement) when Mercy’s Outreach team comes to his village each month.

On a recent trip, the Outreach staff discovered that Foday had a runny nose, cough, and headache. Mercy Outreach staff were able to quickly diagnose and treat him for an acute respiratory infection.

According to his mother, Florence, “I am very happy with the medication. I really saw great improvement. I am impressed with Mercy and the free treatment.

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CRC Promise Scholar graduates

12/6/2018

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The CRC Promise Scholarship program provides post-secondary students the opportunity to either attend a university, or purse a program in technical or vocational schools. One Promise Scholar, Taingay Karteh has used this opportunity to successfully complete a program in catering and hotel management from St. Mary’s Technical Vocational Centre.

Tiangay first came into the CRC programs as a student in JSS2. Upon graduation from Senior Secondary school, she took the extremely difficult entrance exam that is the gatekeeper between Senior Secondary School and university called the WASSCE (West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination), but was unable to earn a score to enable her to enroll in a university program.

Through career counseling provided by CRC Guidance Counselor Princess Kawa, Taingay was encouraged to pursue a path in either catering or hair dressing, and she selected a program in catering. With support from the CRC Promise Scholarship program, Tiangay succeed in earning her certificate in catering.

“My aim is to establish my own business within the township of Bo,” Tiangay says. “Without the guidance of the CRC staff and their support, this would not be possible."