"Encarnizamiento sin límites" en Bangui, República Centroafricana | MSF - Médicos Sin Fronteras
The capital of the Central African Republic, Bangui, for weeks is prey
to violence but most hospitals no longer work. Jessie Gaffric is the
project coordinator for MSF. She manages our activities in the only
trauma service within the city community hospital.
"
Since fighting broke
out in Bangui, on December 5, our teams have treated more than 800
patients, mostly gunshot wounds or stab.
Almost deserted, Avenue des
Martyrs, one of the main arteries of Bangui, seems quiet. Hard to
imagine that the same here last night violent clashes between armed
groups have taken place.
"
Very close, not far
from the stadium, is the community hospital, the reference structure of
the capital, a decrepit building with a trauma service, the only one in
town, currently managed by MSF.
"Since the month of November, we
identified a pressing need for surgical care and launched our business
on December 2," says Jessie Gaffric, MSF project coordinator. "No one
then suspected that the situation would explode three days later. That
day, we received 120 wounded and 60 more the next day. We were
collapsed. Had to handle the situation in extremely difficult
conditions, this was chaos. As there was no place
"
in the hospital, we
installed shopping on hospital premises to accommodate patients
requiring postoperative care. Eventually seeing the emergence and
continued, improved circuit of patients, emergency department
management, quality of care ... "
Since its opening, this service has
treated nearly 800 people injured, essentially gunshot and stab wounds.
On January 11, the day after the resignation of former president M.
Djotodia, we received fifty patients provided by other MSF health
centers in Bangui or in camps in the city at community hospital. A man
came by ambulance with a gunshot wound in the foot that had tried to
heal itself and it was so infected they had to amputate. Another had a
motorcycle accident. Another had a stab wound. Patients not stopped
arriving throughout the day and each case was different from the
previous.
On average, each day
twenty wounded arrive with peak influx few days.
"The main difficulties
we encountered are time management, especially because we have to leave
the hospital at 18pm at the latest hour curfew, when insecurity is
higher," says Jessie. "In this hospital we work nine expatriates and
Central African fifty employees. Among these, some are living in camps
and can not come to work when clashes occur or are forced to stay
overnight in the hospital. What also hits, is the severity of injuries
either white gun or machete.
"
All reflect a level of
violence and cruelty unlimited ... "
The two community hospital
operating theaters to date managed by MSF have just been made by the
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Finally, the ICRC has
to stop assuming full surgical service.
While MSF is prepared
to work in another city hospital.
Central African Republic
