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On Monday, 16 November 2015, Médecins Sans Frontières treated 60 injured people at its trauma centre following grenade explosions in several neighbourhoods of Bujumbura.
“On Monday morning, we treated nearly 60 casualties in the emergency room in a very short period of time,” explained Richard Wellman, MSF project manager.
MSF activated a mass casualty treatment programme to treat the rapid influx of casualties, triaging the most critically ill first. “We opened a second operating theatre and performed five emergency operations in the following hours.”
MSF’s trauma centre has 43 beds, an emergency room, two operating rooms and an intensive care unit. Services are free and open to anyone who meets the admission criteria, including anyone who has experienced violent trauma. “We are committed to providing quality medical care to people regardless of race, religion or political affiliation,” Wellman noted.
Since the MSF centre opened in July, 630 injured patients have been treated, of whom more than 390 required hospitalization.
Doctors Without Borders is one of the only international organizations treating the wounded and medical emergencies in the capital. Its activities in Burundi are funded entirely by individual donations. Doctors Without Borders does not receive funding from any government.
MSF has been working in Burundi for more than 20 years and stepped up its activities in Bujumbura when tensions began to rise before the elections in May. It supported three health posts located near the demonstration sites, thus providing free medical care to nearly 120 patients admitted to public hospitals. MSF also trained medical staff at Prince Rwagasore Hospital in Bujumbura to treat trauma patients and donated medicines and medical supplies.
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