NGO concerned over lack of medical personnel in the north

Italian humanitarian NGO Cooperazione Internazionale (COOPI), which is conducting medical intervention programmes in northern Central African Republic, has expressed concern over the situation in most hospitals in the region, where physicians have not reported to work since October 2002, an official told IRIN on Friday. The COOPI representative in the country, Massimiliano Pedretti, said that only the hospitals at Ngaoundaye, 600 km northwest of Bangui, the capital, and in Birao, 1,101 km northeast of Bangui, had qualified physicians. He said nurses were running hospitals in Bozoum, Paoua, Bossangoa and Bocaranga, all between 300 km and 510 km north of Bangui, and Ndele, 645 km northeast of Bangui. COOPI, he said, would soon carry out an investigation to asses the impact of the absence of medical doctors and medical assistants. He added that that situation posed a health threat as the nurses were not qualified to run hospitals. Like others, the medical sector was seriously affected by fighting from October 2002 to March 2003 when fighters loyal to Francois Bozize clashed with government troops. The fighting ended with Bozize overthrowing President Ange-Felix Patasse on 15 March, but insecurity in the north has persisted. After the coup, hospitals and health facilities across the country were looted. Those in east were isolated from the capital, which led to acute shortages of drugs and other health commodities. To rehabilitate the health system in war-affected areas, the European Community Humanitarian Office and the European Development Fund disbursed €1.78 million (US $2.04 million) in May. The funds, shared among COOPI, the Association des Ouevres Medicales des Eglises en Centrafrique and Oxfam Quebec, are being used to supply drugs and to rehabilitate and equip health facilities. The programme covers nine of the country's 16 provinces. In early July, the government started sending administrative and military officials to the provinces to reassure the people, most of whom were in hiding until recently. Like other people, the medical personnel, including physicians, fled fighting and were awaiting the restoration of security before reporting to their duty stations.