In Senegal, President Macky Sall returned hastily on Friday from the African Union summit in Equatorial Guinea to go to Tivaouane at the end of the afternoon, after the death of 11 babies in a fire at the hospital. .
With our special correspondent in Tivaouane, Charlotte Idrac
” I have a bruised heart “said the Head of State, who offered his condolences to the families of the victims. A ten-minute statement. ” Never again “Promised Macky Sall, who announced an audit of all neonatology services in the country.
I would like to tell families, parents, mothers in particular, that they will not be alone in mourning. The state will be on their side […] I ordered that all neonatology departments can be audited in their construction, in their installation, in the equipment, but also in the processes.
A criminal investigation was opened by the prosecutor recalled Macky Sall, to understand what happened. So that this does not happen again, he promised.
The Head of State also recalled that he had initiated a policy of modernization of hospitals in Senegal with an increase in health budgets, so that the hospital is ” a haven of peace for the sick ” and no ” a place of despair “. He also sent a message to health personnel, he calls on them to “ the responsibility » and to « awareness » so that everyone exercises their profession for the proper functioning of the services.
“There were recalls, but the state did not do what it had to do”
After this visit by the Head of State to Tivaouane, opinions are divided.
Access to the hospital is filtered. Amy Samb followed the president’s statement outside. ” It’s good, I’m very happy. It was important for him to come here, to see the people. He interrupted his trip to come and support us, and I’m satisfied. The president said there will be an audit, I hope things will change “, she says.
” Modernization efforts will continue to look at what is wrong “Assured the Head of State. But Mame Bassine does not believe it: ” what I expect from the President and the State are real solutions. We must not wait for tragedies to come, make speeches, offer condolences. It’s the same every time, and they move on after a few days. Every time problems, problems, problems, it hurts. »
After his speech, Macky Sall met with the families of the deceased babies. He also spoke with the general caliph of the Muslim brotherhood of the Tidianes – Tivaouane is the holy city of the brotherhood. The influential religious leader had alerted several months ago to the state of the hospital, recalls Cheikh: “ There were recalls, but the state did not do what it had to do. “He feels reassured by the words of the Heads of State and thinks that will change locally, ” because it is the general caliphs who rule but not for other hospitals.
The three-day national mourning decreed after the tragedy ends this Saturday. The Minister of Health was sacked on Thursday evening.