Health Ministry equips war-affected hospital

The government of the Central African Republic, through its Ministry of Health, has donated laboratory and surgical equipment to the Bossangoa Hospital in the northwestern province of Ouham, which had been affected by a war between government and rebels forces that broke out in October 2002, state-owned Radio Centrafrique reported. The director of provincial health services, Dr Louis Namboua, donated the microscopes, surgical materials, office furniture, drugs and laboratory chemicals worth two million francs CFA (US 3,700) on Wednesday in Bossangoa, 305 km north of the capital, Bangui. The hospital is the only major health facility in Ouham. It had suspended laboratory tests and surgical operations since October 2002, when rebels loyal to current leader Francois Bozize fought against government troops in a war mainly in the north of the country. Like other public facilities, the hospital, its pharmacy and laboratory were looted. In October, Bossangoa was among 10 health facilities in the north and northwest that received vaccine storage freezers from the International Committee of the Red Cross, enabling health personnel to resume routine vaccinations that had been interrupted since the start of the rebellion. With the intervention of the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO), through Italian charity Cooperazione Internazionale (COOPI), Ouham residents have had access to free medical care since May. COOPI has been distributing drugs to health facilities in Ouham and Ouham Pende provinces, which were severely affected by the six-month rebellion that ended on 15 March with Bozize overthrowing Ange-Felix Patasse. Wednesday's donation was the first of this kind by the government, since its formation in March. Previously, it has intervened jointly with NGOs or UN agencies. The government has also posted a doctor and nurses to Bossangoa, to boost the provision of health services. The government’s efforts to re-equip hospitals comes as health officials call on the public to take their children aged under five years for anti-polio immunisation, whose second phase is scheduled for 3-6 December. The radio reported that the first phase of the anti-polio campaign that took place from 3-5 November had reached 90 percent of children in Ouham.