Join HCW Board member Dr. Carol McIntosh and the Mercy Hospital staff as they go on medical outreach to a village to care for mothers and babies.

Saving lives in Sierra Leone

Mercy Hospital was founded in response to the desperate need for health care in Sierra Leone. Mercy has been administering quality care in Bo since 2007 and has extended its services via outreach clinics to 55 villages surrounding Bo. 

When an epidemic level Ebola outbreak devastated the already fragile health care system in 2014, it left women and babies especially vulnerable.  Despite the challenges caused by the crisis, Mercy has continued to serve Bo and the surrounding villages, annually providing care to more than 10,000 patients.  The hospital has made great strides,  earning the trust of the community as a provider of excellent health care for all, regardless of ability to pay.  

Health care is not free in Sierra Leone, and people are turned away from most hospitals if they cannot afford to pay, but Mercy treats all regardless of their ability to pay.  HCW wholeheartedly supports Mercy’s mission to improve infant, child, and maternal health through holistic, community-focused care. We applaud Mercy’s data-driven health care programs, and the focus on professional training and staff development to better serve the Bo community. 

Your gift helps Mercy Hospital provide medical care to children and families in Sierra Leone, one of the poorest countries in the world.  

For just $25, you can provide life-saving treatment for three malnourished babies enrolled in Mercy's nutrition program.

Support Mercy Hospital's initiative to install solar power by clicking on the link below.

Mercy Hospital's primary initiatives

​Village Outreach

The Mercy Hospital staff visits a network of villages surrounding the city of Bo to serve people who live far from the hospital. Twice weekly, the staff travels over precarious bridges and rough roads to bring care to remote sites. The services they provide include screening babies for malnutrition, prenatal examinations, malaria testing and HIV testing. 

Malaria Testing and Treatment

Malaria testing and treatment is offered to men, women, and children at Mercy Hospital, as well as via eleven monthly outreaches to villages surrounding Bo. A partnership with the United Methodist Church General Board of Global Ministries enables Mercy’s malaria patients to benefit from monthly donations of medical testing supplies and the most effective drug treatments currently available.

Operating Theatre

In 2019, Mercy Hospital opened a new operating wing. The first floor holds two separate operating theaters, recovery room, waiting area, and office space. The second floor houses two new wards, a private ward, a conference room and exam rooms. The new wing enables the hospital to offer Cesarean deliveries and other life-saving surgeries.

Nutrition Program

Both at the hospital and via outreach clinics, Mercy Hospital screens infants and toddlers for malnutrition and failure to thrive. Malnourished babies are enrolled in the Nutrition Program to receive supplementary feeding, and their progress is monitored monthly. An average of 100 new children are enrolled during outreach visits to remote villages. The 25 infants and toddlers graduating per month from the program are the true indicator of success. 

​Prenatal and Postnatal Care

Mercy Hospital provides prenatal and postnatal care to women regardless of their ability to pay. Expectant mothers are monitored throughout their pregnancy for signs of gestational diabetes or other complications, and encouraged to give birth at the hospital for the safety of mother and child.  Mercy’s care for mothers and babies is having a powerful impact on maternal and infant suvival in Bo and the surrounding community.

Cervical Cancer Screening

Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in Sierra Leone. Mercy Hospital offers free cervical cancer screenings and refers patients who require treatment to the nearby Marie Stopes Clinic.