Seven -Yr-Old Girl Amputated

Story by Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu


One of the seven children who were caught up in last Sunday’s tragic incident at Nkontompo near Sekondi in which a grader ran into a group of Sunday School children has had her left leg amputated.

Doctors at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital are said to have done everything possible to save the situation but the damage to the left leg of Little Ruth Amoasi, 7, coupled with the high rate of infection, made it impossible for them to spare her leg.

Hospital sources said the doctors were confronted with two options — either to amputate the leg to save her life or lose her in the process of saving her leg.

Speaking to the Daily Graphic yesterday, the doctor in charge, Dr Tawiah Siame, said the flesh on the affected leg was completely dead and also badly infected.

“It was a very difficult decision for us, since that was the only option to save her life. We had to call a lot of other doctors to assess the situation and pass their comments, as well as take several photographs, all in an attempt to salvage the leg,” he said.

He said given that sad development, the hospital authorities found it difficult to make the decision known to the parents to understand the situation in which their daughter was.

“To us, life is more precious and we involved her parents because of the legal implications,” Dr Siame said.
However, the remaining six victims are in stable condition and the doctors said it was likely some of them would be discharged by yesterday.

Mrs Grace Amoasi, who could not stand the sight and the pain of her daughter losing one of her legs, is yet to come to terms with the reality.

At Ruth’s bedside were some of her family members who sobbed intermittently as they spoke to this reporter.