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Tam-Tams from Kivu
The
Hospital of Walungu - March 2006
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The road traveled to reach Walungu is a pot-holed mud track; the
skill of Congolese drivers is to be admired! No-one gets around
without a four-wheel drive! Walungu is 40 km south-west of Bukavu, the
capital of South-Kivu, a magnificent region of hills and valleys
leading to the great lake. En route, we pick up at different points
a nurse and a mother, in the last days of her pregancy, on their way to the hospital.
Two hours of bumpy tracks later, we arrive at the village of
Walungu. The orange-painted buildings of the hospital centre stand
on a shady spot, dominated in the distance by the Mulume Munene, a
beautiful pale green summit. Some huts, the church, a few brick
buildings and small businesses crowd around the hospital.
The building is well-planned; the hospital wards are linked by
covered walkways, the climate allows no other choice as strong sun
alternates with unexpected showers. Patients are transported on
antiquated stretchers. At the biniola, the expectant mothers live
together as a community: cooking, sleeping, moments of relaxation to
chat or do each others' hair.
The staff make-do with what they have. They ensure that there is
always someone on duty; the night shifts are often busy in the
maternity unit. Care is ensured for those who have undergone surgery
(for peritonitis, infected wounds…) and for malaria patients. One
wing is dedicated to children suffering from malnutrition. An
experimental vegetable plot provides fresh produce: beans, carrots,
lettuce, cabbage, fennel, leeks, and potatoes: everything grows
here!
In the pharmacy, water is sterilised, measurements of sugar and salt
are made on old-fashioned scales and intravenous solutions are prepared.
The level of adverse reactions to these is very low, proof
that the procedure is adapted to the means and correctly applied!
There is a very low incidence of post-operative infections, similar
to our own.
The laboratory consists of one room, some litmus paper
on a shelf and a microscope. Only basic tests are performed; this constantly
calls on the clinical capabilities, experience and
intuition of the doctors and staff. Few patients manage to pay even
the modest sums asked for the care received: 8 US $ for a birth,
40$ for a caesarean or medium-level operation. For an endoscopy, you
have to travel to Bukavu.
Despite all this, the welcome is immediate, warm and with a smile. From the medical director to the person in
charge of the laundry, each one is eager to take the time to explain their
work, their ingenuity and their commitment to making sure everything
runs smoothly. Contacts are easily established. Now we know each
other. Whether far away in Europe, or here in South Kivu, we pursue the same
objective with the same energy. In one word: we show solidarity.
In the name of this community, thank you!
Receive
the Tam-Tams from the Kivu
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