Life at the CHR in North Kivu, DRC, which is run by our partners Comfort Congo, has been extremely challenging to say the least over the last 12 months. You will be aware of the instability and violence in the area which is as a result of conflict between rebel and government forces, culminating in the hospital being looted and damaged earlier in the year. Despite the overwhelming adversity however, the staff at CHR have re-opened the hospital and are working exceptionally hard to treat the many needy people who would not be able to access healthcare in any other way.
Dr. Jean Bosco’s update on the current situation
Jean Bosco (below) is a doctor at the CHR and has recently sent us some information on the current state of the hospital. We let you know in February that the CHR had suffered severe damage as a result of the M23 takeover in and around Goma, with windows and doors being broken, the solar panels and batteries being stolen, mattresses taken, leaving beds empty and the pharmacy both at the hospital and the Furaja pharmacy looted. Jean Bosco reported last month, “The situation is still complex because displaced people have gone back to their homes but some have not and are still around. We recently received a delivery of medication from Comfort Congo and we still have some to treat the patients. Receiving and buying medication has been really helping although they do not cover all the needs of the patients and population that are coming for medical consultations at CHR.”
“Since the hospital reopened in February, we have treated around eight hundred cases. In terms of hospitalisation, we are limiting the cases for the comfort of hospitalised patients, since we don’t have enough mattresses – those we had were looted alongside other equipment. (Mattresses have been sent with emergency funding from Comfort International.) Women coming for delivery have nothing to cover their babies with after delivery. There is lack of light at the hospital (because the solar panels and batteries were stolen) and the babies have a difficult start to life due to the lack of food caused by the instability around us.”
“Frequent illnesses encountered are STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases), palladium (malaria), post-traumatic psychoses, gastritis and increasingly high levels of cases of sexual violence against women. As for the (lack of) power, it is a difficult issue to solve. Right now, we are using torches during the night to overcome the situation. Staff are staying overnight but are scared as there is no guarantee of security. Since the reopening, we have observed a negative impact on the population coming for medical care at the CHR. They have been much poorer financially due to the war in the area and not one of them comes with even one coin to put towards their medical needs.”
Emmanuel’s* testimony
We recently read a testimony of a man named Emmanuel who was treated at the CHR. He writes, “I was injured, fell down and hit my head on a rough stone when running from the confrontation between the M23 and the governmental forces together with the self-defence forces and many armed groups around these governmental forces. I reached here at the Comfort Congo maternity and general clinic. I was well welcomed and well cared for and today I feel much better than I was when I came. My family is in the IDP (Internally Displaced People) camp, displaced with no means to pay my medical treatment fees, but I am comforted by the staff here because they told me I don’t need to worry or fear anything because they are aware of what I passed through and will treat me up till they are sure of the total recovery of my wound (free of charge). God bless the partners of Comfort Congo who send us medicine and who support this lovely staff that take care of the patients kindly and pray for us every time to keep us hopeful.”
You can read more stories, both of some of the female staff who work so hard at the hospital and of survivors of sexual violence who have found kindness, care and started a path towards restoration through the work of the CHR by reading our blog post here.
New Maternity Building
In 2024, ground was broken for a new building at the Central Hospital Rusayu to allow them to separate their hugely busy General and Maternity units. The new building will include a modern surgery room, maternity facilities, laboratory, and pharmacy and is being funded by the Congolese Social Affairs Department (with 10% funded by Comfort International) following years of pressing by Comfort Congo. The construction of the new building is ongoing and nearly at the end, which you can see in the pictures below.
Conclusion
Although the situation at the CHR is far from ideal, and there is much more to be done to restore it to full working order, the staff are working incredibly hard to keep providing the best standard of medical care they can to whoever needs it. We would like to congratulate John Bahati (right with his new wife) and Jean Bosco who both got married last year. Comfort International are committed to serving the CHR staff as best we can in these difficult times and beyond. One of the ways that we can support them is by sponsoring members of staff to help make sure that they have enough to take care of themselves while they sacrificially serve others. Many of the staff members themselves face hunger and lack of security, and by sponsoring them, you can help them overcome this. If you’d like to sponsor one of the CHR staff (for a monthly donation of your choosing), please get in touch today. Thank you.
