Surgeons Remove 50 Needles from Boy’s Stomach at Mbarara Hospital

Pediatric surgeons at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital have successfully removed 50 sewing needles and broken pen fragments from the stomach of a 9-year-old boy. His stepmother allegedly forced him to swallow the objects.

The boy, Samuel Akamumpa, comes from Rweibare Village in Kasheshero Sub-county, Mitooma District. For eight months before his diagnosis, he had been suffering from severe stomach pain, loss of appetite, weight loss, and dark stools. Doctors later discovered these symptoms were caused by the foreign objects lodged in his abdomen.

The hospital’s acting director, Dr. Deus Twesigye, said scans taken at an imaging center in Bushenyi-Ishaka first revealed the objects. Samuel was then referred to Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital on April 28, 2026.

A team of seven surgeons performed the operation, using magnets to pull out the 50 needles, some of which still had thread attached, along with pieces of crushed pens.

Samuel also received blood transfusions, antibiotics, pain medication, and wound care during his recovery. He has since been discharged from the hospital.

Beyond the physical injuries, hospital staff say Samuel is now receiving counseling and psychiatric support to help him work through the trauma he experienced.