"The hospital is situated on a low rise in lush grassland at the foot of Kivu's spare Mitumba mountain range. The beauty of the place belies the population's desperate healthcare needs. On my first day, I found a 14-month-old toddler in the paediatric ward who weighed 5kg. He is suffering from marasmus, a severe form of malnutrition with the typical pinched "old man's" face. He has to share a tattered bed with another sick child as there aren't enough cots. Sharing is dangerous as the malnourished child's immune system is unable to fight infections. Nurse Pierre and I are currently treating the TB, which likely underlies his malnutrition while starting a careful therapeutic feeding regime. Pierre, who has much experience with these cases, is optimistic."
Follow Chris Bird, a journalist-turned-MSF doctor in eastern DRC, as he writes about his work in rural Lulimba at The Guardian
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