First Aid Fund for Patients of the Blood Dialysis Centre in Bangui
Health care in the CAR is always paid, there is basically no social system and the functioning of the state in this area is supported by various non-governmental organizations. Medical fees are high, especially for blood dialysis. One session costs the patient € 30, the State finance € 150 to that. Most patients need 3 sessions per week.
The blood dialysis centre in Bangui started operating in 2022 and is the first clinic of its kind in the country. It was set up by the state after the first local specialist returned after his studies. It is Dr. Cédric Ouanekpone, whom SIRIRI has long supported throughout his studies. The center is visited by chronic patients who have been able to return home from neighboring countries after several years of health care overthere.
But there are also urgent cases. These are patients who need blood dialysis quickly and urgently – for example, women who have health problems after giving birth or young people who have had an infection. In these cases, 5,5 sessions in average are enough for patients to recover completely. Unfortunately, it has happened several times that patients did not have the financial means for treatment and died prematurely. The aim of this project is to help around 10 urgent cases per year. From the beginning of 2023 to June 2025, we have already helped 24 patients return to normal life.
Dr. Cédric Ouanekpone informs us about the individual stories of patients who found themselves in a hopeless situation and to whom he was able to help thanks to SIRIRI and our donors. End 2023, a 9-minutes documentary about Dr. Cedric was made. It was released the 28th January 2024 after a short ceremony in Prague. You can watch it online in English on our Youtube Channel.
At SIRIRI, we have been supporting First Aid Funds for patients with common health problems (malaria, infections, fractures requiring outpatient or hospital treatment) since 2013 in four locations: Bozoum, Bouar, Baoro, and Yolé. Read more here.
The project is funded by SIRIRI in 2025 with € 2000.