The St. John of God Hospital in Mabesseneh (Lunsar), Sierra Leone, is celebrating 50 years since its founding by the Hospitaller Order in 1967, and two years since its reopening during the Ebola epidemic, following the death of Brother Manuel GarcĂa Viejo, a physician, who was repatriated to Spain.
To commemorate the 50th anniversary, a delegation from Juan Ciudad NGO is currently at the San Juan de Dios Hospital in Mabesseneh until Friday, March 10th. The delegation is composed of Brother JosĂ© MÂȘ Viadero (director of JCONGD and spokesperson during the Ebola crisis), Fernando Rivilla, pediatric surgeon at RamĂłn y Cajal Hospital and international volunteer for the organization, and Francisco Muñoz, project technician.
St. John of God Hospital in Mabesseneh provides healthcare in a rural area in the interior of Sierra Leone, in the Port Loko district, serving a population of 70,000, most of whom live in poverty. The healthcare needs are numerous, due to malaria and other infectious and respiratory diseases, which primarily affect children under 5 years of age, as well as complications during pregnancy and childbirth, among others.
This hospital is run by Brother Michael Koroma, a Sierra Leonean, and has a total of 137 staff, of whom 75 are healthcare workers and only two are physicians, one of whom is Brother Patrick Bung, head of pediatrics and emergencies, who arrived at the hospital last year to continue the work of the late Manuel GarcĂa Viejo.
Following the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, in which 500 healthcare professionals lost their lives, the region's healthcare systems were severely weakened. As a result, the Saint John of God Hospital in Mabesseneh is undergoing a process of strengthening its services to return to operating at 100% capacity.
The center has also implemented measures to prevent future epidemics, such as a permanent triage system at the hospital entrance in the emergency area, in addition to having an adjacent building with complete isolation measures in case new suspected cases of Ebola, cholera, or other similar diseases appear.
Since the hospital reopened in January 2015, the number of people treated has gradually increased, with 12,641 patients treated that year. This figure is still far from the more than 32,000 people treated in 2012 and 2013, just before the arrival of Ebola.
Video about life at the Mabesseneh HSJD and the pediatric surgery campaign of five Spanish volunteers.
This center provides outpatient and inpatient services in the areas of maternity, pediatrics, general surgery, and emergency care, as well as laboratory, radiology, ultrasound, and electrocardiography services.
Due to the poverty experienced by 77% residents of Sierra Leone, the hospital provides many services free of charge, supporting its operations with the help of the Hospitaller Order and some of its centers, in addition to the support of organizations such as Juan Ciudad ONGD.
The 50th anniversary events at Mabesseneh Hospital coincide with St. John of God's Day, celebrated every March 8, with various activities taking place at the Hospitaller Order's centers in the 55 countries where it operates.
By Adriana Castro, Communications Manager for Juan Ciudad NGO.
