Bujumbura : the military hospital overwhelmed by the influx of wounded from the fighting with the M23

Bujumbura : the military hospital overwhelmed by the influx of wounded from the fighting with the M23

The military hospital of Kamenge, located north of Bujumbura, the commercial capital of Burundi, is facing an overload linked to the massive arrival of Burundian soldiers wounded in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) during clashes between the Congolese army and its allies and M23 rebels.

INFO SOS Médias Burundi

According to observations on site, part of the premises usually reserved for mothers and children has been requisitioned to accommodate these wounded.

Patients redirected or postponed

Many patients with appointments in the surgical department have had their consultations postponed or cancelled. “I had been waiting for my appointment for two weeks. Today, I was told that it was cancelled and that I have to look for a doctor elsewhere. “It’s shocking,” said a sixty-year-old man we met at the hospital.

An unusual occupation of the premises

While from the outside the activity seems normal with hospitalized children and patients coming for X-rays, the interior of the buildings presents a completely different reality. In the mother-child unit, normally intended for pregnant women and children under 15, several bedridden men are visible. These soldiers have serious injuries, particularly to the head, arms and legs.

“Yesterday, two of us were transferred to the intensive care unit,” confided an injured soldier, on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. Another injured man explained : “We were hit during the fighting against the M23 in the DRC.”

Fear is palpable among these hospitalized soldiers. “It’s as if they are watching each other,” noted a reporter from SOS Médias Burundi. In addition, a colonel from the Burundian army regularly visits the rooms to monitor the situation and ensure that no intruders communicate with the soldiers.

Management marked by discretion

The way in which the wounded of the Burundi National Defense Force (FDNB) are cared for shows an apparent desire by military authorities to “conceal their presence”.

“Since the hospital was created, the mother-child unit has exclusively received mothers and children under 15 years old,” a medical source said. However, rooms in this unit (104, 107, 108, 301, 305, among others) now hòsts wounded soldiers. Some are also admitted to the intensive care unit. Another room, located near the adult emergency room, hosts a large number of wounded.

However, access to these premises is strictly monitored. “A military police officer is permanently posted and monitors the movements of people,” it was noted.

Healthcare staff recalled

Faced with this influx, healthcare staff are under pressure. Even employees on leave have been recalled to reinforce the teams.

“We have no rest, and no one has the right to ask questions. We carry out orders,” said a nurse.

Uncertainty over the numbers

SOS Médias Burundi was unable to obtain the exact number of Burundian soldiers injured in the fighting with the M23. However, sources inside the hospital indicate that their transfer has increased considerably in the last two weeks.

“This Monday and Tuesday, we were shocked : every day, between 40 and 50 injured people arrived at a time,” said a nurse.
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Elements of the Burundian army at Goma airport, March 6, 2023 (SOS Médias Burundi)

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