The doctor at the Lapaz Community Clinic was emphatic, “this would require plastic surgery, take her to Korle Bu” he advised. The victim was restless and the two escorts were even more concerned.
“You can see the finger is getting dark, we may lose it,” the doctor told his colleague who had initially assessed the victim.
It all started on a normal school day, she had been readied for school and had gone to greet her granny, on her way out, the wooden door was slammed against her tiny fingers – the result was blood, flesh and bone of the tinniest righthand finger.
Six drips on blood on the brown tiles, then a tissue load to contain the bloody situation, in 15 minutes, her screams of pain had been replaced with intermittent groans as granny held her hand in the soaked tissue and called desperately for first aid.
When the medic in their home prescribed a hospital assessment, it dawned on everyone that it was going to be a long morning.
I’ll be back in Accra.
HRH in all her glory (illustrative picture)
Over in Gaza, the Palestinian coastal region at the southeastern corner of the Mediterranean bordering Isra-hell and Egypt, it had been 15 months of back-to-back bombardment.
Not fingers crashed by doors but complete human beings completely ripped apart by bombs and shot at point blank by soldiers. A genocide (at least per the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that played out in real time.
These were people (the Palestinians) living in the what has been called the world’s largest open-air prison, yet there they were being bombed in their homes, then in the hospitals where they’d ordinarily seek health.
Then their churches, mosques, universities and other places bombed, not even the refugee camps would be saved from the aerial bombardment. Many across the world became numb to the charred bodies of kids, whose lifeless bodies showed more blood, bones and torn apart flesh that we would ever have seen in a lifetime.
But Allah is, ultimately, the source of succour to the Palestinians and to all their supporters across the world. May the land of Palestine be free soon. Ameen.
Back to Korle Bu, as promised.
The medics at the Accident and Trauma Center of Ghana’s biggest referral hospital demanded an X-ray. Madam victim says not under her watch and twice the department drove us away but referred us to the Children’s block.
It was there that a nurse will playfully yet skillfully and professionally get Madam victim to concede for the real extent of damage to be scientifically ascertained.
That done, the doctor ruled that with minimal damage to the bone, stitching the finger was the way out. Stitch? I said to myself, who will tell this man about our experience with the X-ray?
Anaesthetic and a healthy dose of coaxing is how the itchy stitching process was undertaken. This is how they managed to return home in a roller coaster whirlwind 10-hour experience that left victim normalized, al hamdu lil Laah and all others with a tale of January 15, 2025, to be told and retold in the years ahead.
Ceasefire in Gaza
It took 467 days since October 7, 2023; for Isra-hell to agree a more durable ceasefire in its war against Hamas, which war had expanded to neighbouring Iran, Lebanon and Syria.
Thousands killed, hundreds of thousands displaced and millions directly and indirectly affected. Al hamdu lil Laah.
“Palestine tomorrow will be free,” as sang by Maher Zain is perfect to be re-echoed no doubt, our prayer is that Allah makes the tomorrow of Palestine today. Ameen.
Final words from Accra
We saw ripped flesh, smelled blood and fear that bones were broken. Madam victim’s tiny finger nail struggled to hang on and yet from the blood soaked tissues, the anxious journey to Korle Bu and the nail biting stitching of those tiny little fingers, we thank Allah.
The victim is my niece, the ever-bubbly Rukaiyah Akila Namzoya Suleiman. I am escort two and her mother was escort one.
Special shoutout to sister-in-law Dr. Zaria Mahmoud (Mamalito) and to all cast and crew from the Tantra Hills Hill Top to the St. Anthony’s Roman Catholic School squad and the FactSpace support group.
Akila is fine and sends her regards.
