SUDAN EMERGENCY WARD FOR ICRC HOSPITAL IN LOKICHOKIO
On 31 July the ICRC will inaugurate a new emergency ward in its Lopiding field hospital in Lokichokio, northern Kenya, along the border with Sudan.
"Lopiding is the best equipped medical facility in this far-off border region", explained ICRC medical coordinator Pierre Gratzl. "But it is a field hospital, meant above all to provide care for surgical patients and war-wounded from Sudan. Of course, in the past we also treated local emergency cases."
The ICRC has long been aware of the medical needs of the growing population in Lokichokio, which for the past 10 years has been the main base for relief operations conducted in Sudan by the ICRC and Operation Lifeline Sudan. Besides the ICRC facility, the nearest hospitals are 80 (Kakuma) and 200 (Lodwar) kilometres away. Together with the Kenyan Ministry of Health, the ICRC decided to open the new ward to treat emergency cases from the district of Turkana. Staffed by two doctors (under contract with the Ministry) and 12 nurses (under ICRC contract), the ward has 20 beds for in-patients and an intensive care unit with five beds.
Further information: Nina Galbe, ICRC Nairobi, tel.: ++ 2542 728 387
To mark the 50th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions on 12 August 1999, the ICRC, the Swiss Confederation and the city of Geneva plan to host a ceremony in which a solemn appeal will be launched to all peoples, nations and governments of the world, urging them to reaffirm the commitments made to war victims in these treaties.
For details on the events scheduled for 12 August, for press accreditation to the official ceremony (requests must be received by 5 August) and for information on the Geneva Conventions, please contact:
Kim Gordon-Bates, ICRC Geneva, tel.: ++4122 730 2302, fax: ++4122 730 2250, e-mail: kgordonbates.gva@icrc.org
During the weekend of 24 - 25 July 1999, for all information please call the press officer on duty Corinne Adam, on (mobile) 41 79 202 36 80