Hospitals in Goma Overwhelmed as Conflict Intensifies and Supplies Dwindle

Goma, a major city in eastern Congo, is struggling to cope with the overwhelming influx of casualties from ongoing fighting between Government forces and Rwanda-backed rebels. Hospitals in the city, including Bethesda Hospital, are operating far beyond their capacity, with medical staff attending to hundreds of wounded individuals each day.
Florence Douet, a nurse at Bethesda, expressed on February 2 concern over the rising risk of infection due to the overcrowded conditions, as patients share beds and lie on the floor while waiting for treatment. The violence, which erupted on January 26, has already claimed over 700 lives and left nearly 3,000 injured.
The M23 rebels, supported by Rwandan troops, have launched a major offensive against the government, capturing key areas of Goma and threatening to advance further. The rebels, who claim to be defending ethnic Tutsis, are now positioning themselves to march toward Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, in a bid to seize control of the country. As the conflict intensifies, hospitals like Kyeshero are overwhelmed with bullet and shrapnel injuries, and shortages of medical supplies are worsening the situation. With transport routes disrupted and supply chains broken, hospitals are struggling to maintain even basic care for the increasing number of patients.
The humanitarian crisis in Goma is compounded by fears of disease outbreaks, as overflowing morgues and unsanitary conditions raise concerns about the spread of cholera, measles, and other infections. The World Health Organisation has warned that the displacement of millions of people in the region has created fertile ground for the rapid transmission of infectious diseases. With medical resources already stretched thin, aid organisations are racing against time to address both the immediate healthcare needs and the long-term risks posed by the escalating conflict and deteriorating conditions.

About Geraldine Boechat 2989 Articles
Senior Editor for Medafrica Times and former journalist for Swiss National Television. former NGO team leader in Burundi and Somalia