Entering the grounds of Salama hospital in Bunia, immediately one is struck by the sense of bustling activity: outside, the families of patients are cooking and washing their dishes in large plastic buckets; inside, the corridors are busy and every single room is occupied. Many of the patients have very visible injuries – some have painful looking external fixators on their arms, shoulders or legs; others have limbs in plaster or bandages on their bodies.
The focus of MSF’s centre at Salama hospital is trauma surgery and orthopaedic care, but it also treats the victims of burns and road accidents – a decision driven by the significant prevalence of these types of injuries and the absence of specialist medical care for these patients elsewhere in the province.
As we are shown around the hospital by a doctor, the persistent and heart-wrenching cries of a child pierce the air. Unable to ignore the distressing sound, I look through a door and see a little boy of about five sitting on a bed beneath a mosquito net.
‘Why is he crying?’ I ask. A nurse explains that the boy, who has serious burns on his legs and chest from a domestic accident, desperately wants to get up and check if he will still be able to walk properly. However, his grandmother, seated next to him, has said no, following to the letter the doctors’ advice that generally he should stay in bed, sitting down or lying with his legs out straight.
The doctor suggests to the grandmother that letting the child use his legs will do him no harm, and she relents. The boy is gently lifted from the bed by his grandmother and the nurse. With cautious steps, he walks slowly across the room, looking like a little old man. The sense of relief on his face is palpable. As we offer encouragement and applause, his mood visibly lifts. When we leave the room with a wave, he has a smile on his face.
