An experience of psychological intervention after the sinking of a pirogue in Bettenty, Senegal

Senegal was hit once again by a shipwreck that caused the drowning deaths of 21 women and 54 survivors. This shipwreck took place in Bettenty, an isolated island town in Senegal, focused entirely on the local population. Psychological care for survivors, families and local stakeholders was needed. A psychological care mission was dispatched. The mission of this team was medico-psychological care for the 54 survivors, psycho-social support for the families of the victims, and psychological support for the local medical staff. She provided immediate post-treatment care through talk groups, individual debriefings and home visits. This intervention in Bettenty remains a first mission coordinated with the advent of the Mobile Response and Support Team (EMIS) Psychosocial, set up in 2016 by the Center for Sanitary Emergency Operations of the MSAS for actions taken medical and psychological care of disaster victims and their relatives. In fact, Senegal, a developing country, is gradually learning how to set up formal and structured cells for psychological care. From the experiences of medico-psychological intervention, it will be possible to rectify their setting up and unfolding, for later actions to be more effective.