Maniema: women give birth at the Binumbi health post without any delivery bed

The Binumbi health post in the Kalima health zone, just 45 kilometers from Kindu in the province of Maniema, receives women who give birth in deplorable conditions. This health center where the inhabitants of three villages are cared for, only has a capacity of 7 beds. It does not have a birthing bed or a full birthing kit.

The titular nurse, Antoine Idolwa Tchelu, complains:

“Women give birth in poor conditions. If the child is born, we resort to methods to protect only the child. We take the rubber, the bag we use for another bed. We miss the birthing bed. No equipment here with us, not even pliers or a pair of scissors. We lack everything”.

He denounces the fact that the gestures and practices prohibited by medicine are still practiced there.

“We conduct the delivery in poor conditions, we only take razor blades, something that is not good to tell people. Here at home when there are many patients we mix the patients. You will find someone who has diarrhoea, the other who has malaria, we put him on the same bed. This is not good. Let the government think of us so that we are a bit like the others, ”he adds.

The chief of Binumbi village, Atumisi Kikuni, pleads for the completion of the construction works of the building of this center. :

“We have our health post here in Binumbi, it is the population itself who started to build this health post. This post is unfinished. This is why we are asking the authorities to help us so that we can complete this construction. Here at home, we also consume water that is not drinkable. Those who have a good will, especially the authorities, let them help us so that we can drink good water”.