1401 The December 29th. issue of Pulse carries a leading article based upon the translation of an article from Jeune-Africque concerning Dr. Albert Schweitzer. The latter is one of the few heroes' of the bourgeoisie in its decline and comrades will remember the hullaboo there was a few years back when he got his Nobel prize. It should be also noted that. he has reeently come out as a Tshombe supporter. The most important passages of the article read: "Gaboon is one of the few African countries very rich in sanitary services, Its 445,000 inhabitants have 4 hospitals, 30 medical centres, 22 radiology clinics, 9 mobile hygiene and prophylactic teams and two maternity welf&re centres. Systematic vaccination has practically eliminated yellow fever and smallpox. Leprosy, trypanosomiasis and paludism are retreating rapidly.
"But, right in the middle of this effort at modernisation, there is a scab, a cesspool: the place known as the ‘hospital of Lambarene', This hospital is coneeived along typically racialistic lines. The patients wear labels: ‘native’ for the Africans and 'Europeans' for . the haltf-caste,.
"Even visitors who are very sympathetic to Dr. Schweitzer admit that his hosptial is the most backwaxt in the world. The drainage system is not yet installed (despite gifts and the hospital's 49 years' existence).Small open gutters are all that exist. Large dressings covered with coagulated blood floatalong them slowly. "Dr. Schweitzer's principle is that 'it is right and proper that the natives suffer, be cured or die in their natural habitat'. thus, they will come to hospital with their families and their animals— so much the worse for promiscuity and contagion-and they will do their own cooking. ‘I give them their food,'says the great white doctor, 'they cock it themselves and, as such, they can't complain that it is bad'."
"l) Mystifiestion: the whole world imagines that Latbarene is the only place where it is possible to be cared for in Africa, whereas, in fact Dr. Schweitzer's hospital gives the worst treatment anywhere in Africa.
"2) Anomaly: at a time when Gaboon is trying to modernise its medical services- and is sugeeding—the persistence of this sanitary .mode becomes. more and more sesandalous.
"3) Mystery: to what purpose are all the gifts put that are sent *® Lambarene?"