By Sallieu S. Kanu
Members of the Indian Merchandise Association have paid for the critical surgeries of three-year-old Alhaji Lamrana Jalloh in India.
Jalloh was diagnosed with a heart condition and imperforate anus.
Both surgeries, including flight tickets to India, visas, passport, accommodation for both the child and the mother, cost over US $ 25,000.
Few months ago, Jalloh and his mother travelled to India with the hope that both surgeries would be done. But the doctors in India only performed the heart surgery and deferring the Imperforate anus repair after full recovery of the kid, according to Harish Agnani, a member of the Indian Merchandise Association.
He said that after an assessment of Jalloh’s health condition by a team of doctors from Max hospital in India, who visited the Choithram Memorial Hospital, the kid was declared fit for the imperforate anus repair. In that regard, Jalloh and her mother departed the shores of Freetown yesterday for India where they would spend the next four weeks for the operation and observation.
Agnani said all expenses had been paid for by the Association, adding that they had also given the mother of the child US $ 1, 000 to meet other expenses while in India.
A member of the Association, Frank Balani said he had been approached by the mother of the child for assistance in alleviating the suffering of her kid. He said he then referred the mother to the Indian community which wholeheartedly helped.
Ramatu Jalloh appreciated the Indian community for the support. She said that God will surely bless them for the humanitarian gesture.
She said that before the heart surgery the child was always unhappy and weak. “But after the heart surgery he has started to play, and he looks happy.”