Info June 2018

Sierra Leone
Caritas Freetown promotes the health and
well-being of the Western Area Rural People
through a Free Surgical campaign with support from ACISS
“… but here the whole process was free and I did not pay for anything,
If not for this, I could have died with this hernia.”
Ibrahim Sankoh, one of the beneficiaries
Caritas Freetown received four
surgeons and a nurse from
Spain to carry out free surgical
operations for vulnerable people in
the Kissi Town community in Waterloo.
The project was sponsored by the
ACISS Organization from Spain and
the team was led by Father Joseph
Antonio a Catholic Priest. The operation
started on April 23 and ended on
April 28, 2018 at Christ the King
Children’s hospital in Waterloo. In
total 70 people were operated on
which constitute 58 men, 10 Women
and 2 children.
free medical support. He said the
selection process was open to all, with
equal opportunity.
Ibrahim Sawaneh is a 42 years old
man who has been suffering from the
condition for over five years now. He
has visited the government hospitals
several times and was asked to pay
Le 1 000 000 (about € 107) for the
operation and he said he has been
working all this while trying to raise
the said amount. He is presently
working for Christ the King Children’s
Hospital as a painter in the
Solidarity Association for International
Cooperation Sierra de Las Nieves
have been trying to get help and my
parents have spent so much money
and resources in trying to do several
tests but the hospitals always told us
that the hernia is not matured yet for
operation” he said. They came to know
Some of the beneficiaries of the free surgical campaign.
Abu Bakarr Sawaneh, a 27 years old
man has been suffering from hernia
since 2007. He said that he has been
trying to get help from other sources
especially from the government facility,
but was asked to pay the sum of
Le* 800 000 (about € 85) as operation
fee plus other smaller cost for bed and
the likes. Abu came to know about the
project when he visited his aunty who
lives in the Waterloo community who
told him about the hospital and the
* Le: Sierra Leonian Leone.
construction work presently going on.
He said “I have suffered too much, it was
too expensive for me to be able to pay, if I
had to go to another hospital, they will
have asked me for the operation fees, bed
fees and drugs, but here the whole process
was free and I did not pay for anything, If
not for this, I could have died with this
hernia he exclaimed”
Abu Bakarr Sankoh is another beneficiary
who is 12 years old boy and has
been suffering from the condition
since after Ebola outbreak in 2014. “I
Caritas Africa Info: page/página 11
about this free operation campaign
from the village head man who was
making the announcement around the
community.
For many people, access to resources
was one major challenge: raising the
resources in bits and pieces was a very
difficult process while continuing to
keep a certain amount for other
emerging issues. That would affect the
savings they have been making. That
caused them not be able to meet the
demand of paying for the hernia