The Central Hospital Rusayu, situated in the middle of intense conflict in Democratic Republic of Congo, runs on a body of dedicated, selfless and skilled staff. Many of these are sponsored and supported through Comfort International. Throughout the year we receive updates on how they are getting on. This year has been particularly challenging. On the back of years of Covid, and soaring inflation and skyrocketing prices in the country, the violence in the area of Rusayu has intensified greatly since October 2022. This is reflected in the reports of the staff, and the over-riding emotion is a strong desire for peace in their country. Despite the challenges however, the hospital continues to thrive, providing life-saving medical care for those who would otherwise be completely unable to afford it.
In the report from this Summer, the staff talk about the most interesting cases they have seen recently. They have treated a vast range of maladies, including cholera, anaemia, haemorrhage, war wounds and even the birth of the first lot of triplets at the hospital. However, perhaps the most intriguing report comes from Mukasanga Hoseana (right), who writes, “We had received a case that had been transferred to us being unconscious, it was believed that he was already dead. But the doctors and nurses hooked him up to the monitor and the oxygen concentrator and he came back to life. He came back cured.”
Musafiri Christine (left) adds, “The patient had been brought to death, but thanks to the devices that Comfort International had brought to the CHR and the drugs that had been given to the patient, he is cured and he returned home in good health.”
In her own news, Christine reports that she is now pregnant and we thank God and rejoice with her at this wonderful news! She says, “Pray for me that God will always be in control of my life and wherever I go, in my work that he will continue to protect me.“
The staff talked about the things they loved most about Congo, including the food, the nature and the people. They also talked about the challenges they face in their country. Philemon, a nurse, sums it up, “From the food point of view, I like Fufu [a dough made from boiled plantains such as cassava], meat and vegetable garden foods. But at home in the Congo, I would like first and foremost to live in safety and peace with my loved ones.” He goes on to write, “The recent violence in our area has affected my life because when I see cases of violence coming to our facility to seek medical attention, sometimes they are unaccompanied, they are abandoned, neglected, and often rejected by their families, so when I see them in such situations I am so touched and sometimes I want to help them financially but I lack the means.“
Bahati John (right) sums up his letter to his sponsor with these words, “The security situation in the region of our country where we live is very worrying because it had handicapped our development and shattered the objectives we had. Our development, whether on the economic or vital side, has experienced a bottleneck and has meant that we have hardly made any progress. We ask our sponsors to place us in the hands of Almighty God in communion with us. Pray that those who can influence the restoration of peace in our country can also come to our aid so that peace can return to our region.”