Masanga Hospital

The paediatric ward at Masanga Hospital

Masanga Hospital or Masanga Leprosy Hospital is a hospital which currently provides free healthcare in paediatrics, maternity, general medicine and surgery. It is located in Tonkolili district, Northern Province, Sierra Leone.^[1] The hospital was ransacked and used as a rebel stronghold during the Sierra Leone Civil War, but having reopened in 2006 it is now a functioning rural hospital once more. The redevelopment has been overseen and funded by a partnership between Sierra Leonean Adventists Abroad (SLAA)^[1] and Associated Friends of Masanga (AFOM),^[2] two charitable non-governmental organisations based in the United Kingdom (UK) and Denmark respectively.

Currently Offered Services

The hospital comprises of a surgical ward with male and female wings of around 20 beds each, a maternity ward, paediatrics ward and stabilisation centre for malnourished children. There is an outpatients department which sees a large volume of patients each day, and includes a wound clinic with specialist care for leprosy patients and tropical ulcers. There are two theatres, which perform planned hernia, hydrocele and amputation operations, and unplanned abdominal surgery and ceasarian section operations. A small fee is payable for non - life - threatening operations. There is a laboratory capable of testing for malaria, blood borne viruses, gastrointestinal paracytes, tuburculosis and leprosy, blood typing and performing further diagnostic tests. The hospital also has some limited capabilities in dentistry and opthalmology.^[3]

Surgical Training Programme

Masanga Hospital provides surgical training which is open to Clinical Officers (COs or CHOs) and doctors in Sierra Leone. Trainees receive instruction in crucial surgical procedures including hernias, abdominal surgery and caesarian sections, while also working in the hospital to provide senior level care on the wards and in outpatients. The programme is set to expand and will include trainees working for six months at Masanga Hospital then relocating to another hospital in Sierra Leone to gain further experience and to provide general assistance. ^[3] The programme has recently been taken over by a Norwegian charity called CapaCare. ^[4]

Acute Admissions Ward

Due to open within the next 12 months, this new ward will take acute adult and paediatric admissions, who may need a more intensive level of care than is easily available on the other hospital wards, and aim to stabilise them before transfer to a ward appropriate for a longer stay. This work is overseen and funded by a UK charity, Masanga UK. ^[5]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Sierra Leonean Adventists Abroad '[1]'
2. ^ Associated Friends of Masanga '[2]'
3. ^ ^{a b} Visit to the hospital by the author in September 2011
4. ^ CapaCare '[3]'
5. ^ Masanga UK '[4]'

External links

• [5] Sierra Leonean Adventists Abroad Association website
• [6] Masanga Leprosy Hospital Website
• [7] CapaCare
• [8] Masanga UK

Coordinates: 8°44′57″N 11°50′14″W / 8.749249°N 11.837149°W / 8.749249; -11.837149