By Davida Spaine-Solomon
Freetown, 12th January 2026- What began as a desperate search for medical help has turned into a nightmare for Idrissa Bangura, a single father whose three-year-old daughter, Isatu Bangura, is now at risk of losing her arm following what he describes as negligence by health workers at the PCMH Cottage Hospital.
Mr. Bangura said he rushed his daughter to the hospital when she became seriously ill. At the facility, he was informed that Isatu urgently needed a blood transfusion. He paid Le 120 for the blood, hoping it would save his child’s life.
According to his account, the nurse on duty, identified as Marion, struggled to find a vein in the toddler’s arm. He alleged that several attempts were made from the upper part of the arm downwards, leaving the child in visible distress. When the attempts failed, he said the nurse decided to administer the blood through the child’s neck.
By the next morning, Mr. Bangura noticed alarming swelling in both the arm and the neck. He said he immediately raised concerns with the hospital staff, but no treatment was provided to reduce the swelling or ease the child’s pain. Days later, the situation worsened as the child’s fingers began turning black.
“When I saw her fingers changing colour, I knew something was terribly wrong,” Mr. Bangura said.
He alleged that hospital staff later asked him to pay Le 1,500 for an X-ray, an amount he said he could not afford. The cost was later reduced to Le 600, with staff promising to cover the remaining balance. Still, he said he was uncomfortable with the arrangement. Eventually, he claimed the nurses gave him Le 600 and transported him and his daughter in an ambulance to Bathurst Village for the X-ray.
At the facility in Bathurst, Mr. Bangura said health workers informed him that the blood given to his daughter was not suitable for her condition. More distressing, he claimed, was a suggestion that the child’s arm might need to be amputated a conversation he said he refused to entertain.
The X-ray was eventually done, and the results were sent back to Cottage Hospital. Mr. Bangura described the attitude of the nurses throughout the process as arrogant and dismissive, saying he felt ignored as his child’s condition deteriorated.
Two days later, Isatu was referred to Connaught Hospital. However, Mr. Bangura alleged that the reception there was equally troubling. He claimed that a doctor identified as Dr. Koroma advised him to first report the matter to the police and make a formal statement before further treatment could be provided.
According to the father, nurses at Connaught were also rude and unsympathetic, deepening his frustration and fear as he struggled to save his daughter’s arm.
A source close to the family, who asked not to be named, told me that the child’s condition has since worsened. According to the source, a surgeon has confirmed that Isatu’s arm will be amputated early next week, either on Monday or Tuesday.
He also confirmed that the surgeon himself was arrogant, and they are all treating the issue as if they are doing the family a favour and have also blacklisted the family because the father keeps explaining exactly what happened, which exposes the negligence of the health care workers
As of the time of filing this report, neither the management of PCMH Cottage Hospital nor Connaught Hospital has issued an official response to the allegations. The Sierra Leone Police have also not commented on whether a formal complaint has been lodged.
For Mr. Bangura, the ordeal is far from over. “I took my child to the hospital to get better,” he said quietly. “Now, I am being told she might lose her arm.”
This is a developing story.
