Mercy Ships Sierra Leone is celebrating the two–year anniversary of the “Aberdeen West African Fistula Centre” at Aberdeen, west of Freetown.
Since opening in 2005, surgeons have performed over 1,000 surgical procedures for women suffering from obstetric fistula, and the community health physician has performed over 13,000 medical consultations and vaccinations for children 12 and under.
Country Director René Lako states that, “Mercy Ships Sierra Leone’s mandate is to reach out to some of the most vulnerable and often forgotten poor. The women with obstetric fistula are suffering and now hope and healing is available through our surgeries. I’m grateful to God that we were able to provide over 1,000 surgical procedures since 2005.”
The outpatient clinic for children, 12, and under provides medical services for some of the most common diseases and ailments including malaria, diarrhea, and malnutrition. Lako continues: “Children are often very vulnerable as well; 286 out of 1,000 children do not get to celebrate their fifth birthday. The outpatient clinic gives them a better chance to survive and lead healthier lives.”
The fistula centre is a partnership with the Addax & Oryx Foundation of Switzerland, National Petroleum, and the Aberdeen community, and boasts first-class medical facilities. It is capable of accommodating 44 patients in three wards, and an additional 25 in the Hostel of Hope, built by Rotary for Great Britain and Ireland. The surgical suite is capable of accommodating 2 simultaneous operations, and the outpatient clinic includes a waiting room and two examination rooms for physicians.
The Aberdeen West African Fistula Centre, Sierra Leone, is a part of Mercy Ships Sierra Leone, which also operates the New Steps Centre in Waterloo, a centre dedicated to the people with physical disabilities and their families.
Mercy Ships International is a global charity serving the forgotten poor around the world. Mobilizing people and resources worldwide, it brings hope and healing by providing advanced medical care and community development services
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