News & Stories

The morning of April 23 marked a turning point for women and their families in Kono District, Sierra Leone, as Partners In Health (PIH) and Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Health & Sanitation officially broke ground on the Maternal Center of Excellence (MCOE).

At the center of the campus of Lakka Government Hospital, a mango tree stands, its wide branches offering a shaded gathering spot for patients looking for conversation and camaraderie. Many of them have lived at the hospital for months, with even more challenging treatment still ahead.

The morning of April 23 marked a turning point for women and their families in Kono District, Sierra Leone, as Partners In Health (PIH) and Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Health & Sanitation officially broke ground on the Maternal Center of Excellence (MCOE).

Fourteen weeks ahead of his due date, Naphtal was unexpectedly delivered on a rural farm on the edge of Kono District, Sierra Leone, miles away from any health facility. He and his mother, who was in dire condition after a complicated, unattended birth, were rushed by ambulance to Koidu Government Hospital, Kono’s only hospital.