City Link Ostend-Banjul burn wounds aloe vera treatment research programme in progress

Burn Wounds Treatment Centre is a project research facility built inside Edwards Francis Small Teaching Hospital by the City Link Ostend-Banjul Project funded by the European Union.

The centre is meant for a research on using fresh aloe vera for the treatment of burn wounds particularly children age 0-15 years that suffer burns.

Dilating on the research which kicked-off in March 2022 targeting research sample size of 52 patients before November, Phebian Ina Grant-Sagnia, Health Component Consultant research for the City Link Ostend-Banjul Project said the research is for a period of one year.

She said the initiative is an inclusive of three institutions - Edwards Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH), the University of The Gambia (UTG) and The Gambia Red Cross Society, Banjul Branch.

The research, she explained, started with training on how to use the aloe vera (a new clinical trial in the hospital). “Initially we just want to use aloe vera as case study but after the submission of our research proposal with the EFSTH and UTG it became a comparative study because the old method of treating burn wounds cannot be abandoned.”

Madam Grant-Sagnia went on that the research treatment is a new initiative research project to test the effectiveness of fresh aloe vera leaves and the old method of – SSD to see which is faster and more effective.

She disclosed that among burn wound patients admitted at the center one has been discharged after a successful treatment with fresh aloe vera.

She said burns currently being treated includes hot liquids, hot charcoal and attaya; fire/flames; fuel and chemicals; hot drinks, iron, among others.

Awa Nyabally, a nurse who is part of the research team noted that presently patients at the centre are four and all improving from burn wounds they sustained.

She hailed the team of researchers for their intelligent and kindness towards patients.

Saikou Sissoho, also a nurse from The Gambia Red Cross, Banjul Branch who is also part of the research study team said: “Aloe vera has great impact on them (admitted patients). It is very good and fast in healing because we have five patients here that we are treating with aloe vera. One of them has been discharged within two to three weeks of treatment.”