“For more than 25 years, Dr. Michel Onimus, French orthopaedist, devotes his free time to operate in the Central African Republic, particularly in Mongoumba. The patients who are treated are especially children, people with congenital malformations (congenital dislocation in the foot, cleft lip), polio sequelae, burns and fractures. Due to the country’s instability, medical activity has declined during the last three years since Dr. Onimus comes to help, that is, almost exclusively in Bangui”, writes Élia Gomes, a Portuguese lay Comboni missionary, working in Mongoumba.
Before the “crisis”, he used to work with a team of young volunteers (anaesthetists, nurses …). Now he travels just with his wife, Michelle, who deals with logistics. Therefore, he is supported by Barthelemy, a Central African anaesthesiologist from the paediatric Centre of Bangui who always finds a “little time” to spare and work with the professor.
In their luggage, the couple brings everything they need for the medical operations, from surgical material to tapes … and when they go back, they donate to us whatever has not being used.
Since I’ve been here in Mongoumba, we have received the visit of Dr. Onimus four times, the last in February in which 31 patients were treated, 15 operated and 4 scheduled to be operated in Bangui in March.
They arrived early, on February 17. Since I was unable to go to fetch them, Brother Alberto, a Comboni missionary, brought them here and spend a few days in Mongoumba. Then the team started the marathon for the consultations, preparations and surgeries of the patients: a process completed in just three days.
The routine was every day the same: into the operating theatre (so to speak) at 8 am and out at around 15 pm, for a bit of lunch. After a short break, at 16 pm we continued the medical consultations and visits of the patients who had been operated on.
Surgeries are performed in the Health Centre, in an empty room with just the operating table, but with no light sources, without suction of secretions, no air conditioning, no recovery room … A room that has three windows facing the street, with a net to prevent flies from entering inside but not to protect the place from the dust, and curtains to provide privacy but also precluding some light. The only “luxury” is an oxygen bottle that is used only when the professor arrives.
Despite all the shortcomings, we have to thank the availability of the head of the Centre of Health, who not only allows us the use of the room as a place of surgery but makes available the autoclave to sterilize the material.
The patients, before and after the operations, are housed in our Rehabilitation Centre, called “Da Ti Ndoye”, under the responsibility of Bob, the physiotherapist who works at the Centre since its foundation.
Dr. Onimus accomplishes a difficult job in difficult conditions, a labour of love, which has provided a better quality of life for many children and adults. “In so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me” (Mt 25:40).
A missionary hug
Elia Gomes. CLM CAR
