Nothing can replace a mother’s affection for her children. It is with this in mind that Maison Shalom always tries to prevent any increase in the number of children orphaned by illness or poor childbirth conditions. In terms of its socio-medical activities, it does this as aprt of its overriding mission to reduce child and maternal mortality to a minimum. This objective is based on the three components of this dimension: disease prevention, treatment, and advocacy to the local population, emphasizing the health of mothers and their babies.
REMA Hospital provides treatment and all curative care. It works on the “open doors” principle: no one seeking treatment is ever turned away. The care it provides is backed up by the Centre for Mother and Child Protection (CPMI), which represents the prevention and advocacy aspects and works on the basis that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. In other words, at the REMA Hospital complex the sick are treated, but they are also taught to live better and to protect themselves from disease. Rather than taking in more orphans, Maison Shalom undertakes to ensure children are not left without a family. We therefore attack the root causes of the high rates of child and maternal mortality, such as birth-related complications, mother-to-child HIV/AIDS transmission, lack of hygiene, and a poor, unbalanced diet.
The Saint Michel paramedical school, which is a part of REMA Hospital, was established to meet the country’s desperate need for paramedical personnel, especially in Ruyigi province. Its young students make an enormous contribution to the quality of the care dispensed at REMA Hospital, but also to heightening awareness of and maintaining hospital hygiene. They are also the hospital’s ambassadors in the communities.
REMA Hospital admits on average 15 premature babies for neonatal treatment each month. The babies are transferred from hospitals in eastern Burundi. In some cases, two premature babies have had to share one incubator. The Hospital currently has only two incubators in working order! Save the lives of these delicate infants by donating 5 incubators and 2 resuscitation tables.
