Health Projects
Photos by Ken Kobré, Maureen Burdynski, Lucy Hobgood-Brown
Lotumbe elder receives care in the hospital. Photo by Ken Kobré
LOTUMBE hospital
The Lotumbe hospital is the only general reference hospital in the rural health zone and services over 80,000. Many travel for days by canoe or walk on forest paths to receive medical care. This is a 'full service' hospital that provides surgical, orthopaedic, obstetrics, family planning, AIDs and Ebola treatment.
In conjunction with DAK Foundation and other partners, HandUp Congo has provided funds for latrines, mattresses, medical equipment and training.
hospitals are BYO - food, mattress and carer
The patient's family is responsible for bathing, feeding, laundry and cleaning. Barter is an accepted way of paying for hospital care. You are not discharged until your bill is paid.
To the left is the kitchen that families use to cook meals for family members while they are in hospital.
Lotumbe women use sewing machines to make scrubs for healthcare staff
Local women make medical scrubs
As their contribution to Lotumbe hospital improvements, the local women have also made medical uniforms using the cloth and sewing machines provided by HandUp Congo.
Photo by Maureen Burdynski
MEDICAL TRAINING AND EDUCATION
Healthcare teams at rural hospitals, including in Equateur Province, jumped at the chance to have emergency medicine and family planning education. This training began in 2015. Learn more about Emergency Medicine.
Doctors and nurses travelled to the provincial capital and to Lotumbe by canoe, motorbike and on foot to participate in training and to receive donated medical equipment, eyeglasses and contraceptives.
The staff now have the training to assist with:
Contraceptive implants
Fistula repairs
Neonatal emergency care
Trauma and resuscitation care
Watch our video. Congo: Saving Lives with Emergency Medicine, produced by Ken Kobré, 18 May 2019
Photo by Ken Kobré
wheelchairs
Lotumbe has residents who, without wheelchairs, are isolated and confined to home. With wheelchairs, they can attend school, socialise and run a business. Most of these people are polio victims.
In 2018, we provided wheelchairs for some villagers. That's a good start. It takes $500 USD ($778 AUD) to facilitate the purchase and delivery of a wheelchair to Lotumbe.
Wheelchair maintenance and repair remains an issue.
Help build a healthy Congo
To make a tax-deductible donation through Rotary Australia World Community Service, click the button below and designate HEALTHY CONGO in the Request field.