In Mayotte, the NGO Doctors of the World denounces a blockage of access to care

In Mayotte the NGO Doctors of the World denounces a

Since the beginning of May, and in connection with the “Wuambushu” operation, a series of events has led to a major disruption of access to health services. Today, Doctors of the World calls for sanctuarizing these places of care.

With our special correspondent in Mayotte,

Access to care is a central issue in Mayotte. In 2019, 45% of residents over the age of 15 said they had to give up care. So, at the beginning of May, the pro-” Wuambashu » used the various health centers to make themselves heard and organized blockades to demand the departure of foreigners in irregular situations.

These blockages were lifted when rotations to the Comoros resumed. But these demonstrators – mostly women – continue to gather in front of certain places, such as the Jacaranda dispensary (Mamoudzou), where they claim to support caregivers exercising their right of withdrawal. Indeed, the violent intrusion into the Dzoumogné dispensary and the rocking of a bus where hospital staff were present led to withdrawal rights and the triggering of the white plan by the Mamoudzou Hospital Center (CHM).

Access to care still reduced

We are witnessing a blockage of access to care, it is a peripheral effect of ”Wuambushu” “says Florence Rigal, president of Doctors of the World France, visiting Mayotte. ” What we saw at Doctors of the World is that at some point, people settled down. Others are worried about their working conditions. The hospital was closed, it was announced as such. Currently it’s supposed to be open, but people aren’t coming. Either because they do not have the information, or because they do not feel safe to come for treatment “says Florence Rigal.

In fact, the association has suspended its patrols in the two slums of the island where it normally intervenes, for lack of access to patients who, fearful, hide. In recent weeks in Mayotte, the openings of the various dispensaries and health services have been unpredictable and changing. ” It’s a bit of fishing for information to know where we will find closed doors or not to follow the treatments. People can no longer simply access the hospital for regular care “, denounces the president of the NGO.

Read also : Operation “Wuambushu” in Mayotte: “We no longer want this shantytown”

A lack of care that concerns everyone

This problem does not only concern foreign people, insists the association. It impacts all the inhabitants of Mayotte, and this is not without consequence. ” At Doctors of the World, we know that it’s not just the emergency that counts. You have to be able to access your treatments. Health is something everyday “, laments Florence Rigal.

Not to mention that the delay in treatment is likely to have serious and long-term consequences: ” There are risks of aggravation of situations, decompensation, delays in access to care. And we know that postponing this care leads to a loss of luck. And we will have to make up for this delay, which will lead to even longer delays in accessing care. »

The need to protect places of care

Doctors of the World Association therefore calls on health authorities to publicly affirm “ sanctuarization of healthcare facilities and the need to preserve them “. The NGO also calls for measures so that ” people feel safe around healthcare facilities, without fear of arrest or altercation “. ” We need an official position from the health authorities on this. “, decides the president of the NGO.

Meanwhile, at the CHM, the situation is deteriorating and a feeling of uncertainty floats. ” There are situations that get worse for lack of access to certain drugs. And we have witnessed sorting of patients operated on by people who were not even caregivers, and this, on the sole criterion of their nationality. “says a doctor from the hospital. Another fear grows in this same doctor: “ There is a worrying drop in activity. But everyone is impacted by this operation. He wonders if this situation will last long. ” The offer of care is already miserable on the island, but there, it will become even poorer “, concludes the caregiver, aware that acts of delinquency and violence wear out the health personnel of the island. He also fears a conflagration of relations between communities, the impact of which could be felt even in the hospital.

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