Rumonge : patients victims of repetitive and prolonged power cuts

Since Tuesday May 23, there has been an uninterrupted power cut. This situation is aggravated by the fuel shortage. Death cases have been recorded in so-called sensitive departments of Rumonge hospital (southwest Burundi). Hospital officials and the administration are asking Regideso* to quickly restore power to prevent the death toll from continuing to rise. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

A mother of Congolese origin died during the night from Thursday to Friday. She was in intensive care.

“The electricity went out. For thirty minutes, they had not yet started the generator. Our mother is dead,” laments a relative who emphasizes having shouted to alert them in order to save her, in vain.

The case is not isolated.

According to our sources, children born prematurely and women who underwent Caesarean surgery died.

“We don’t know the exact number, but the victims were taken to the morgue,” says a patient who fears the worst.

The fuel shortage is making the situation worse.

All the generators are dry at the Rumonge hospital. This poses a big problem. There is no other recourse to help patients.

Hospital officials say they are sorry.

“We have already alerted the public prosecutor in Rumonge so that tomorrow or the day after tomorrow we will not be prosecuted. We have recorded several cases of death following the power cut,” laments a medical agent.

“We ask Regideso to no longer cut the power in this context of lack of fuel. We are losing a lot of human lives. It’s deplorable. Let them at least wait. Let them be human,” says a manager of Rumonge hospital.

In a meeting on Monday, May 20, with heads of services to assess the state of fuel acquisition, the governor of Rumonge, Léonard Niyonsaba, indicated that two cases of death had already been recorded.

According to medical sources, “these child victims were in the incubator machines”.

On Friday, the administration and financial director of Rumonge hospital visited different departments in the town center of Rumonge province. Isaac Mbonihankuye was “looking for fuel support”, according to a local source.