Health

An almost complete collapse in the health system is considered the main reason for war-related deaths in DR Congo. According to the last report from the International Rescue Committee, 5.4 million people died as a direct consequence of the war between 1997 and 2007. Almost half of the deaths are children under five years. Women and children are particularly vulnerable, and they are the main focus of JOIN good forces.

HOSPITAL AND HEALTH CLINICS

Restoring and equipping health clinics and hospitals has been one of JOIN good forces main activities in DR Congo. Through our local partner Hope in Action it is possible to maintain this activity also during war. We have strived to restore health services in areas where few others can reach.

JOIN good forces health program has so far been the following.

•   Reconstructed and equipped 90 health clinics in areas difficult to reach.
•   Restored and equipped Pinga jungle hospital.
•   Restored, extended and equipped Kyeshero hospital in Goma.
•   Distributed excess medical equipment from the Norwegian army to hospitals in DR Congo.
•   Transported and distributed 2/3 of the Norwegian emergency preparedness storage to DR Congo and distributed the supplies to 500 health institutions in cooperation with other Norwegian organizations.
•   Transported and distributed medical equipment from St. Olavs hospital in Norway to DR Congo.
•   Built and equipped a 100-bed fistula department with two surgical units at the Panzi hospital in Bukavu.

We also responded to a request from the Norwegian department of foreign affairs, if we could take the responsibility to build a new hospital in Goma.

KYESHERO HOSPITAL

This hospital is specialized to treat women exposed to sexual violence and treatment of fistula conditions. In addition, we were challenged to manage building of a new department of the Heal Africa hospital in Goma. The Norwegian department of foreign affairs donated $9 million to the project. We responded to the challenge, and during 2012 the hospital was opened for new patients despite a very challenging security situation. The guerilla army M23 seized the town the day after inauguration of the hospital, but the hospital has managed to stay fully functional during the crisis.

The hospitals contribute to a focus on rights for women and children to a life without violence.

HEAL AFRICA

The new construction in the Heal Africa hospital is a landmark building. This extension enables the hospital to treat more women and give them the required treatment for a life in dignity. The Heal Africa hospital receives doctors and nurses from other countries with an interest to work together with the permanent staff. This practice contributes to increased capacity and mutual exchange of valuable experience.

TRAUMA TREATMENT

Trough collaboration with trauma treatment experts from the Modum Bad institution in Norway, health personnel from the two hospitals have received training in how to meet traumatized patients. Health personnel have also participated in training sessions where head doctor Mathias Onsrud from Oslo University Hospital in Norway and two Congolese nurses working in Norway have shared their experience related to hygiene, organization and routines. Doctors from Kyeshero Hospital have been visiting neighboring countries for specialist education within fistula treatment and gynecology. These doctors will constitute a key resource at the hospital when returning to Goma.

It is our local partner Hope in Action together with CEPAC who is responsible for the construction of Kyoshero Hospital and the extension of Heal Africa Hospital.

SAFE MOTHERHOOD

In cooperation with our local partner Hope in Action we started a project in Manieme in 2012. This is a very remote area where the mother/child mortality in relation to maternity and delivery is one of the highest in the world. By organizing women in small groups where they receive information about health, encouragement to saving money to use the local birth clinics in the area we hope to save lives for both mother and child.

In 2013 an another extensive programme was launched in the North Kivu province. In collaboration with the CEPAC churches a number of health posted and medical clinics were refurbished and given necessary medical equipment. Many of these in areas with no or very few other health service. Maternities are build and health personnel trained by doctors from Kyeshero Hospital in Goma. Two mobile clinics help reach the most remote areas treating a large number of patients. Completed in 2015 the project was succeeded by another Safe Motherhood project running from June 2015 to March 2018. The resultats from the latest project is available in Norwegian here.

The hospitals and medical clinics save the lives of thousands of women and children in the DRC.