In 2003, 750 serious burn victims were hospitalized in the hospital of Hérat, the large city in western Afghanistan located not far from the Iranian border. Two-thirds of them were women, mostly between 10 and 40 years of age. And out of these 500 women, 350 had attempted suicide by setting themselves on fire to elude a marriage forced upon them by their families. This figure is unfortunately rising: the hospital estimates that two women per day currently resort to this ultimate sacrifice in the region.
Center Dedicated to Treating Burn Victims in Hérat
In the Afghan city of Hérat, the NGO HumaniTerra is building a welcome and care center for severe burn victims in the hospital.
Construction of the center designed for serious burns patients.
Emergency Care for Severe Burn Victims
To admit these persons rapidly and efficiently, the NGO HumaniTerra, specialized in surgical aid (therapeutic, logistic and training) aimed at the poorest countries, has undertaken to build a center dedicated to severe burn victims within the perimeter of the general hospital of the city.
The aim is both to provide it with the means to receive and treat the burn victims in emergency situations, to deal with the aftereffects, to dispense reeducation, to propose ergotherapy, and to promote prevention. HumaniTerra also plans a training aspect to give the Afghan medical teams the means to handle these situations themselves.
Grants and Skills for the Sterilization and Laundry Unit
The center for severe burn victims designed by HumaniTerra will admit 600 patients every year and will be capable of performing a dozen operations daily thanks to its two operating theaters. Its 3 000 ft2 floor area will be spread over three floors.
To finance the overall building, US and European funds have already been raised. The subsidy granted by the Veolia Environnement Foundation will help to finance the sterilization and laundry unit of the center - a crucially important step in the treatment of severe burn victims. At the same time, Stérience, a subsidiary of Veolia Energie specialized in sterilization services proposed to hospitals, will be providing skills to help HumaniTerra acquire a sterilization unit meeting European standards (drafting of the specification, supply and installation of equipment, optimization of water consumption, etc.).