Many poor patients in Burkina Faso call for financial help through newspapers. Burkina’s Health Minister, Seydou Bouda, isn’t happy with this development.

By Yaya Boudani, Ouagadougou

16-year-old Moumini Kaboré suffers from a rheumatic cardiopathy, a fatal heart disorder. According to his doctor, Moumini’s case requires advanced and sophisticated treatment and this care can be found in France. However, his admission into a French hospital comes at the high price of 10 million CFA francs (15.500 euros). Moumini’s family is only required to contribute 10% of this amount, but the 1 million CFA francs still represent more than a year’s income for a Burkinabe teacher.

Media to the rescue
Helpless, social services in the city of Ouagadougou called for donations through national newspapers. “Moumini’s mother comes here crying every morning. But we don’t have the money, so we called out for donations. The boy’s condition is so serious that he can no longer attend school”, explains an official of the Ministry of Social Affairs and National Solidarity.

Moumini’s case is one of the most recent ones. The SOS in the media has become a measure of last resort for impoverished families. They publish personal ads in newspaper columns asking for financial help. A picture, a prescription or a doctor’s note is usually enough to have the ad published. In most cases, these SOS reach generous donors who come to help.

Health Minister, Seydou Bouda, finds this practice outrageous and is determined to put an end to it. He seized the media governing body, the High Council of Communication, to stop the publication of these ads in national papers. “The reality is that these SOS ads are scams”, Bouda insisted. Adam Traoré, the Secretary General of Health, added that “this practice goes against social and business ethics”.

Unaffordable healthcare
The minister’s statement was not welcomed by media professionals. Richard Tiéné, journalist and columnist for a private radio station in Ouagadougou, argues that “forbidding to publish the grievances of critically ill patients restricts media freedom.” Regarding the issue of healthcare services for the poor, newspaper journalist Adama Ouedraogo explains that people are not really happy to make their personal lives public. “The fact that people come to us means there is a problem. The minister is right, some of them are crooks. However, he has to admit that healthcare services are not affordable to all”.

For example, consultation fees at the Yalgado Ouedraogo university hospital recently went up from 2000 to 4000 CFA francs (6 euros). The media is only acting as an intermediary for patients. They publish the SOS or personal ads free of charge, compared to a normal fee of 45000 CFA francs per ad.

Meanwhile, Moumini Kaboré is running out of time and donations received are still far from the required amount.