Clashes that erupted in Duékoué in western Ivory Coast on Monday, January 3, resulted in many injured and more than 12,000 displaced persons. Since January 3, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has been supporting the city hospital where a large number of medical personnel were missing. Between then and January 7, an MSF surgical team treated more than 53 wounded. Two patients died from their injuries.
MSF is currently renovating the operating room and is working to improve the hospital water supply. The medical team will continue its technical support to the hospital over the next few days.
Primary healthcare to displaced people
The situation calmed down over the weekend, but many residents remain displaced. Since January 6, an MSF team has carried out a daily average of 50 primary healthcare consultations, particularly for malaria and hypertension, in a makeshift camp where 12,300 displaced people have gathered just outside of Duékoué. Seven people have been transferred to hospital.
Outpatient activities in the camp are expected to continue for several weeks. An assessment of health needs will determine the possibility of implementing an MSF project.
MSF opened its first project in Ivory Coast in 1991. Present in MACA prison in Abidjan, in the city of Bouaké, as well as in the western regions, the teams conducted primary and secondary healthcare activities, ran a nutrition project and a tuberculosis treatment program. MSF withdrew in September 2007 when the situation in the country had stabilized.
