The Central Hospital of Nampula (HCN) announced yesterday (25) that there have been at least 21 deaths, 17 out-of-hospital and four in-hospital, in the last 38 hours, following acts of vandalism and disorder, triggered by the validation and proclamation of the results of the general elections of October 9..

According to the director-general of the HCN, Cachimo Molina, a total of 480 patients were admitted to the HCN, 116 of whom had been injured by firearms or other weapons.

"What's most striking is that we have 116 patients who came in with injuries, which we don't know if they were caused by firearms or by other things," said the official, quoted by the AIM.

According to the source, the situation forced the team of surgeons and orthopaedic doctors to extend their working hours to cope with the high number of injured people.

Molina said that this resulted in the hospitalization of 31 patients, four of whom were admitted to intensive care and the rest to the surgical and orthopaedic wards.

"Our greatest concern is for the patients in intensive care who the doctors are doing their utmost to see if we can recover them," he added.

He said that one of the biggest obstacles is the transportation of doctors and technicians from their places of residence to the HCN. This is due to the barricades set up by the demonstrators, which end up restricting the passage of doctors and health professionals.

"So we have to use the means of transportation we have, which are the ambulances. At the moment, three ambulances are taking the technicians we need to the health unit, to see if they can support the others," he explained.

(Photo DR)