The province of North Kivu is facing a very serious humanitarian crisis. More than 800,000 people have been displaced over the past year, mainly due to the conflict linked to the M23, a rebellion, supported, according to the UN in particular, by neighboring Rwanda and which has conquered part of the North province over the past year. -Kivu, of which Goma is the capital. In the city, the camps are overcrowded and living conditions are difficult. This is the case of that of Bulengo, it is on the axis that connects Sake to Goma and which is home to more than 100,000 people. As a result of this situation, cases of cholera are increasing. Humanitarian organizations are therefore on the bridge to avoid an epidemic.
With our special correspondent in Goma, Paulina Zidi
Every day, new patients arrive at the cholera treatment center in Bulengo. A complicated situation for Doctor Alain of Doctors Without Borders. “ When we are in a situation like‘there are more and more patients who come in a ecritical condition – given the sanitary conditions in the capm de displaced which is disastrous – we do not really know how to behave in the face of this massive influx of cases of diarrheas. »
Alongside doctors, teams regularly disinfect the premises. “ It’s not just nurses at the center of treatment, we have hygienists, we have health promotion agents who are there to make patients aware of the measures preventive. Onot given the best of ourselves for that we have preventive measures more or less respected. »
And even outside health centers, disinfection also takes place near the places where declared cases live. Yamine, who works for the Red Cross, sprays a chlorine solution on the tent of an infected household. ” We decontaminate. We can also say disinfectedbut we, we use Ie word of “decontamination”. We decontaminate sensitive places, at the entrance for example, what the person may have touched. We decontaminate where he sat. When someone sits down, they can leave the trash on the chair. We also decontaminate the chairs. »
For the moment, in Bulengo, there has not yet been a vaccination campaign against cholera, but it could take place in the coming weeks.
