Title: Surgical training at the Bukavu Provincial Reference Hospital: a step towards improving medical care
Introduction :
The Bukavu Provincial Reference Hospital, located in the South Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, recently received a new initiative which aims to improve the care of war wounded and victims of armed violence. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has set up a surgical training center within the hospital, aiming to train medical professionals to face the challenges of emergency medicine.
A training center serving those injured by weapons:
The surgical training center, initiated by the ICRC, aims to meet the growing needs for medical care of those injured by weapons. Rodrigo Lopez, head of the ICRC, explains that the objective is to transfer skills to health professionals, not only at the Bukavu Provincial Reference Hospital, but also in all hospitals and health centers in the East of the country. This initiative aims to improve the quality of care provided to people injured by weapons and to strengthen the skills of medical teams.
A positive impact for the Bukavu Provincial Reference Hospital:
Dr Guy Mulinganya, medical director of the hospital, underlines the importance of this project for the institution. He explains that the surgical training center will contribute to the development of the hospital by training doctors, nurses and maintainers. This initiative will allow the province of South Kivu, the DRC and the region as a whole to have a training center that will improve the surgical care provided to those injured by weapons. He also specifies that this project is both medical and academic, offering theoretical and practical courses on emergency humanitarian medicine.
The ICRC has been serving those injured by weapons since 2013:
Since 2013, the ICRC has expanded its surgical program at the Bukavu Provincial Reference Hospital, in order to meet the needs of those injured by weapons in the region. In ten years, more than 10,000 injured people have benefited free of charge from the medical care offered by the ICRC surgical program, both in the provinces of North and South Kivu.
Conclusion :
The establishment of a surgical training center at the Bukavu Provincial Reference Hospital represents a significant step forward in improving the medical care provided to war wounded and victims of armed violence. Thanks to this ICRC initiative, health professionals will be able to acquire essential skills to face the challenges of emergency medicine. This project will contribute to improving the care of people injured by weapons not only in the province of South Kivu, but also throughout the region.