Sierra Leone: We Are Here to Help During This Difficult Time For the Country
On 5 November, a fuel tanker exploded in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone. The devastating incident followed a collision between the tanker and a vehicle, and killed over 100 people.
“Hundreds of people are believed to have suffered life threatening injuries from the explosion. Many people are said to have been trapped in their cars and poda-podas, unable to escape when the tanker exploded,” reported the Sierra Leone Telegraph.
Our Surgical Centre in Goderich immediately began to admit patients in a critical condition. The team at EMERGENCY’s hospital worked around the clock, and haven’t stopped since
“We received around 30 patients, all with burn percentages ranging from 25% up to 98% of the body: 2nd and 3rd degree burns. Of these patients, we admitted 24. Seven are still receiving treatment and 17 sadly lost their lives,” says Samuele, EMERGENCY’s Medical Coordinator in the country.“ These patients will need to be treated for the next month to month and a half inside the hospital, and will need rehabilitation and multiple surgeries in this period.”
EMERGENCY has a long history in Sierra Leone. We are here to help during this difficult time for the country, and to support a healthcare system that was already stretched even before this tragic explosion.
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