By Salim Yunusa
Armed men in Mali have caused the death of a patient when they obstructed an ambulance belonging to the international humanitarian group Medicins Sans Frontiers (MSF).
In a report by All Africa, MSF said the armed men tied its officials up, assaulted them and left them in the harsh sun for several hours before finally releasing them, which resulted into death of one of the patients, a man in his sixties, on the scene.
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms all forms of violence against our patients, our staff and medical aid workers in general,” said Juan Carlos Cano, MSF’s head of mission in Mali.
He added that, “We are very shocked and call on the parties to the conflict to respect the ambulances, medical staff, patients and their carers. Medical vehicles must be allowed to transport patients safely.”
On Wednesday 6 January, the MSF ambulance finally reached the hospital in Sévaré and the remaining two patients in the vehicle are currently receiving medical care.
