Paynesville – James Doloyuwah, 22, is at a crossroads in his medical state, as Liberia’s biggest referral hospital, John F. Kennedy Medical Center (JFK), is unable to address his current medical complication.
Doctors at the JFK have advised that James be taken outside Liberia due to lack of equipment and the unavailability of an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the hospital.
“No equipment for the surgery to be done and the hospital also lacks Intensive Care Unit for (ICU), even if, if there was to be equipment,” says Samuel Babajuah, a goodwill humanitarian who is helping to ensure Doloyuwah gets treatment.”
The doctors, following the medical findings said there are surgeons in the country to conduct surgery for the Spinal Stenosis medical condition he currently faced, but lack of equipment and ICU remains a challenge.
According to Doloyuwah, the doctors, following the medical examination, informed him that his upper vertebral canal has damaged and needs to be changed with an alternative object, which cannot be done in Liberia.
Doloyuwah was diagnosed of the sickness when he fell from a palm tree in Bong County in 2018 while harvesting palm nuts to sustain himself and underwrite his schooling. But when he was admitted at the Phebe Hospital, Doctors uncovered other underlying sicknesses and advised him to seek advanced treatment at JFK Hospital or abroad.
Since then, Doloyuwah, a 10th grade student has not sought proper medication because of lack of money and has dropped out of school because of his condition. Currently, he is partially paralyzed.
Three weeks ago, he was brought to Monrovia by Babajuah to seek medical attention at JFK, but Babajuah hopes of helping a struggling Liberian was later dashed, following the medical findings from JFK.
According to medical findings conducted by JFK Lumbosacral Spine CT, there is loss of Lumbar Lordosis with acute posterior angulation at L-1 level, loss of vertebral body height, loss of the L-1 with end plate irregularity at superior end plate of the L-1.
Also the medical finding shows that there is broad based posterior disc bulge at L-3/4 level with mild to Moderate Central Canal Stenosis. Additionally, there is no para or prevertebral abnormal soft tissue density.
Therefore, the findings show a compression fracture of L-1 with Kyphotic deformity, broad-based bulges with mild to moderate Central Canal Stenosis.
As a result, the doctors at JFK have advised that Doloyuwah be taken out of Liberia, preferably Ghana I India for advanced treatment.
According to the doctors, if Doloyuwah is not taken out of Liberia soon, he might live with such complication for life.
Babajuah has, however, named Ghana as the best option for Doloyuwah to be taken for treatment.
“It would be best for us to take him to Ghana, because we are hearing about COVID-19 cases in India, but our foremost concern now is how to get him out, because we have very limited fund,” Babajuah lamented.
Meanwhile, Mr. Babajuah and Doloyuwah in separate statement, called on humanitarians and goodwill Liberians in and out of the country to assist with travelling expenditure and medical bill that will take him outside Liberia.