Bururi : medical transport crisis — lack of ambulances plunges patients into distress

SOS Médias Burundi

Bururi, April 28, 2025 – In the Bururi health province in southern Burundi, the population and local authorities are sounding the alarm. For several months, the referral and counter-referral system has been seriously disrupted by a critical shortage of ambulances, jeopardizing patient care.

The situation is particularly critical in the Matana and Rutovu health districts. In Matana, the only ambulance was decommissioned following an accident a month ago. In Rutovu, the two existing ambulances have become virtually unusable due to their advanced age.

“The entire care chain is paralyzed,” confide local health officials.

In several district hospitals, the complete lack of medical vehicles makes patient transfers extremely complicated, especially in emergencies.

Terrible consequences for the population

Deprived of adequate means of transportation, residents must now resort to private vehicles to transport patients, an often very expensive alternative in a national context marked by a persistent fuel shortage.

Pregnant women living in rural areas are among the most affected. The lack of ambulances in some districts makes their access to emergency care particularly difficult, endangering their lives and those of their babies.

An urgent appeal to authorities

Faced with this health crisis, the population of Bururi is calling on the health ministry to act quickly. Residents are demanding the acquisition of new ambulances and their fair distribution among the most vulnerable health facilities.

For many, the situation is urgent : without an adequate response, the situation could worsen further and lead to avoidable loss of life.

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Men help victims of a landslide into an ambulance in Cibitoke province in northwestern Burundi (SOS Médias Burundi)