Sick Burundians faced with several challenges

From carelessness of health professionals to lack of medicines, sick Burundians say they suffer a number of problems.

Sylvain Habanabakize: “Sick people in Burundi are still faced with a number of problems”.

Sylvain Habanabakize, spokesperson for the network of patients in Burundi-CEMABU says sick people still struggle to access adequate health care because of the irresponsible behavior of some health workers.
“There are some health professionals who still neglect patients. This is a bad behavior that should be discouraged by punishing anyone found responsible for such negligence”.

He also says sick people especially those who work in public institutions and are members of the state owned health insurance organization-MFP complain because they are not given the prescribed medicines.
“They are not given recommended medicine yet they regularly contribute to their health insurance”.

Mr. Habanabakize also says there are hospitals that refuse to receive patients in critical situation because of the lack of a sum of money required before any treatment. “On this international day of sick people, we beg the Ministry of Health to find the solution to this problem,” he says.

He also says that the problem of holding the dead bodies of patients who are not able to pay the bills should be addressed.

The World Day of the Sick is celebrated every February 11 and was first observed in 1993. Faith-based organizations mark this day especially by providing the sick with medicines, food, and spiritual guidance.