Grinding Machine Belt Cuts Off Testicles Of 14-Year-Old JSS Student In A Market

A 14-year-old Junior Secondary School student in Bauchi State, Bashir Salisu, suffered a major pain when the belt of a grinding machine cut off his testicles.
Bashir, a student of Government Day Secondary School, Tudun Salmanu area of Bauchi metropolis, who had written his JSS examination and was preparing to get admission to Senior Secondary School, engaged in the grinding of grains under the tutelage of a man at the Muda Lawal market, Bauchi.
Narrating his ordeal at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBU-TH), Bauchi, Bashir said the event occurred on Friday, October 18, around 10am when, in the course of running the engine, the belt touched his trouser and pulled him.
“When my trousers got entangled as a result of the rotating belt, it instantly severed my testicles and inflicted injuries on my private part.
“The pain was unbearable and I was rushed to the hospital, where medical personnel started treating me.
“Unfortunately, the testicles had gone and can no longer be replaced; the doctors confirmed that the situation is irredeemable,” said the student in tears.
Father of Bashir, Malam Salisu Mohammed, a farmer, said when the accident occurred, he had to struggle to contain himself.
“I felt highly disturbed initially but was able to compose myself later, believing that tragedies are ordained by God and must therefore, be accepted when they happen.
“We have intensified prayers for his quick recovery, even though we have been made to understand by medical experts that his testicles are gone for good.
“We thank God that he survived the accident; he could have been dead by now and we must appreciate such luck.”
Speaking on the condition of Bashir, a consultant urologist at the ATBU-TH, Dr Liman Usman, said the student sustained injuries on his scrotum and testicles caused by the belt of a grinding machine.
“His trouser got entangled in the belt of a grinding machine, leading to the complete abortion of the testicles and scrotum; both testicles were severed.
“He had lacerations on his private part but these were just bruises; the inner shaft was intact”, he said.
The consultant said it was not possible to transplant the testicles because of their complex nature, adding that efforts should be geared towards making the student to psychologically accept the situation as it is.
He however said what could be done to address the psychological feeling of the boy, was to make provision for plastic scrotum, which could only be done in hospitals abroad.