Protests after 2 sudden deaths force closure of hospital trauma unit in Central African Republic

The sudden closure in the Central African Republic of the orthopedic trauma surgery unit at the capital ‘s main hospital following the deaths of two people, including a government minister’s niece, has sparked concern among patients and relatives.

The unit at Bangui Community University Hospital was closed by the health ministry on Feb. 3 following the deaths, which are being investigated. The inquiry panel is also assessing the quality of service delivery at the hospital.

The hospital has faced problems operating smoothly due to frequent power cuts, said Joseph Bindoum, head of the Central African Republic’s League for Human Rights, which investigated the deaths.

Patients’ families and some activists have criticised the closure and accused the government of “punishing” patients who have been left without proper care.

In a protest at the hospital on Tuesday, families called for the reopening of the unit, which is one of the few such facilities in the mineral-rich country of about 6 million people.

“The closure of the operating unit violates the patients’ right to health,” Bindoum said, echoing concerns from worried families. “Doctors … do not have the means (to work well),” he added.

Irène Gassengue’s son has been lying with fractured limbs in a hospital bed with no medical attention for a week even though she already paid for his surgery.

“I am angry because the minister of health decided on his own to close the surgical unit,” Gassengue said. She fears the delayed surgery is causing his health to deteriorate. “It is scandalous,” she said.

The two patients who died included Larissa Yagasso Nguianbga, whose uncle is Energy Minister Arthur Bertrand Piri and an ally of President Faustin Archange Touadéra.

Although no official reason has been given for the deaths, a doctor at the surgery unit said Nguianbga died after a power cut that led to the breakdown of some equipment. The doctor spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to talk about the issue publicly.

The authorities are asking French medical charity Doctors Without Borders, or MSF, if it can help in treating patients requiring urgent care. “An arrangement has been put in place,” Health Minister Dr. Pierre Somse said.

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