Hospital Bon Sauveur is a vital anchor point for thousands of patients from the Central Plateau and beyond. Every day, doctors, nurses, interns, care assistants, security guards and support staff play an indispensable role in the hospital’s operations. Their strength lies in their ability to work together, to make up for material shortfalls through unfailing solidarity.
A young man of 21 arrives in the emergency department, his stomach aching, exhausted, feverish. The diagnosis: peritonitis. Surgery is the only chance of survival. In a hospital devoid of intensive care, every minute counts and every gesture must be precise.
“Even when resources are lacking, we have to find a solution, because the patient’s life depends on us,” confides Dr Jennifer Arlovy Honoré, surgeon on duty.
The operation is quickly scheduled. In the room, anesthetists, surgeons, interns and nurses coordinate. Instruments are counted, blood is prepared, teams ready to operate. Rigor and concentration are the order of the day: here, improvisation has no place.
In the immediate post-operative period, the young patient collapses: cardiac arrest. The OR freezes for a second, then the collective machine starts up again. Anesthetists and surgeons take turns performing resuscitation maneuvers, interns and nurses prepare drugs and infusions, and the blood bank supplies blood without delay. Without an intensive care unit, every gesture counts twice as much.
Against all odds, the patient comes to. The days pass, difficult, demanding. One visit follows another, post-op follow-up is constant. A month and a half later, the young man leaves the hospital alive. For the whole team, this departure symbolizes what Zanmi Lasante’s mission represents: saving lives beyond material limits, through commitment and solidarity.
“This event reminded me that it is commitment, solidarity and a sense of duty that save lives,” adds Dr. Honoré.
Across the Zanmi Lasante network, teams face the same limitations on a daily basis: lack of specialized equipment, logistical constraints, insufficient financial resources. Everywhere, they are driven by the same conviction: health is a right. Every member of staff, whether surgeon, nurse, care assistant or security guard, is an indispensable link in the chain of care.
Every life saved is a reminder that caring is always a collective act. But for this human chain to continue protecting the most vulnerable, support from everyone is essential. You too can strengthen this chain of life. Make a donation today to support the patients and staff of Zanmi Lasante.