The Minister of Public Health and Population, Dr. Pierre Somse, has firmly rejected this information, stating that it is biased and that the Russians do not mistreat patients, contrary to what was reported by the online media.
On November 21, 2023, Corbeau News Centrafrique published an article on its website alleging the expulsion and mistreatment of patients at hospitals, specifically at the National Hospital Center of Bangui, by Russian members of the Wagner Group.
What Did Corbeau News Centrafrique Reveal?
“The Tragic Drift in Bangui: When Wagner Group Mercenaries Chase Away Patients and Take Over Hospital Rooms”
The information was also posted on its Facebook page
What You Need to Know About Corbeau News Centrafrique
Corbeau News is a Central African online news site created in June 2014 by Alain Nzilo, a Central African journalist. The site employs several reporters across different provinces and has been noted for some erroneous publications on its site and social media.
Clarifications from the Ministry of Public Health and Population During the Press Visit on November 26, 2023
Dr. Pierre Somse, Minister of Public Health and Population, asserts that this publication aims to harm the collaboration between Russia and the Central African Republic.
“This is a false report intended to damage the good cooperation between Russia and the Central African Republic.”
The article published on November 21, 2023, on Corbeau News’s website claims that Wagner Group members took over hospital rooms in the city. Asked by Centrafrique Check on November 28, 2023, Dr. Jean-Chrysostome Kette, Director of the Amitié Hospital in Bangui, clarified that there are no Russian elements at his facility.
“You can come and see for yourself; no Russian personnel are hospitalized here, and they have never been in this facility to evict patients. It’s simply false information.”
The purpose of the visit, according to the Minister of Health, was to verify the claim that Wagner Group members mistreated and expelled patients from the CNHB. Discussions took place between the Ministry of Public Health and Population delegation and some patients. No one confirmed the claims made in the publication; it is rather a false allegation.
“It’s a lie. I was hospitalized a month ago, and I saw nothing of the sort,” said Nadine Biro, one of the patients at the National and University Hospital of Bangui, also known as “General Hospital,” contacted by Centrafrique Check on November 29, 2023.
On November 28, 2023, the Ministry of Health and Population published an official statement on its Facebook page. Dr. Pierre Somse specified that, with the authorization of the health department, the Russian medical team has occupied two floors of the National Hospital Center of Bangui since 2021. The purpose of this occupation was to provide an appropriate setting for treating Russian personnel injured in the field.
The information published by Corbeau News is erroneous and unsubstantiated after verification by Centrafrique Check.
Article by Théophile GBOMANDJI, Marie-Paule VOPIADE, and Cynthia SAGBATE, edited by Michael NDAMOYEN
