The homemade stretcher, known asinderuzoremains an essential tool in Burundi. It is more used in rural areas following the unavailability of motorized means of transport or because of access difficulties due to an often impassable road network. This health professional working in a rural area is full of praise for this equipment and its advantages.
Imagine this setting which is not uncommon in Burundi: a rural, remote area, with rugged terrain and where motorized means of transport are not easily affordable. Imagine then a resident of this town who becomes seriously ill and who must be urgently evacuated to a health establishment. How do you think he will achieve this in these critical conditions? Certainly not by helicopter like in the rescue movies.
Fortunately, theA wise man has always known how to adapt to the constraints of nature. This is how for ages theinderuzo artisanal has emerged as the ideal solution to this challenge.
As a health professional who has worked in a rural environment, I had the opportunity to closely analyze this judicious alternative.
The « brancard-ambulance »
When I first began practicing the art of healing in a rural environment, I admit that I was not familiar with seeing a stretcher carrying a patient wrapped in a blanket. It gave me the image of a patient in agony. But, I quickly realized that this is not always the case and that it is a means of transport that helps in many situations, in the absence of motorized vehicles.
I remember the first time I welcomed a patient brought in on a stretcher. He had been the victim of a work accident, falling from the top of an oil palm tree. He had lost the use of his legs due to possible trauma to his spine. This being more serious, an ambulance was dispatched to transfer him to the next level. That day, I admired the efficiency of the stretcher and the stretcher bearers. They had crossed hills and valleys to reach the Health Center, perfectly fulfilling their role in the care chain.
A bond of social cohesion
Out of curiosity, I undertook a little investigation into the organization relating to this transport of patients to Kigwena (Rumonge). After targeting households where stretchers are kept.
I chose to visit the home of Vyimana Samuel (72 years old) who lives on Kirongorokegwa sub-hill (Nyakuguma hill). After telling him the reason for my visit, he shows me where a stretcher hangs on a wall. “This model is both light and robust. It is made of fibers of plant origin. This makes it easier to carry patients in various situations. »he explains.
He tells us about the beginnings of the use of this tool in his locality: “A few years ago, our sub-hill was not as populated as it is today. We had great difficulty transporting seriously ill people to the nearby health center. This is how we put our efforts together to solve this problem by acquiring our first homemade stretcher. »
This septuagenarian underlines the importance of this tool for his community, specifying that they are on their third stretcher and all come from local contributions. If residents of neighboring communities need it, they will not hesitate to lend them this equipment.
Samuel also emphasizes the fundamental role of mutual aid in this system: “ If necessary, the patient’s family alerts those around them and depending on everyone’s availability, the porters quickly mobilize to lend a helping hand.
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2024-09-30 09:23:12