DRC – A brand-new hospital building in Kinshasa

06/02/2014

The Centre Hospitalier Monkole officially opened a new building in June 2014.

The advantages of a modern, professional facility.

In Mont-Ngafula, 2 June 2014 was a milestone date. For this small town near Kinshasa is where the official opening took place of the new building for the Centre Hospitalier Monkole. Ceremony highlights included speeches by Félix Kabange Numbi, the Congolese Minister of Health, Dr Léon Tshilolo, a physician and the centre Director, Daniel Turiel, Director of the Belgian NGO Actec and representing private donors, and Luc Hallade, Ambassador of France in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

New capabilities
After seven years of work, at a cost of €26 million*, the Monkole centre moved into a new, 15,000m² structure fitted with advanced equipment and meeting the highest international standards. Bed capacity increased from 65 to 158 beds and the centre now has more than 300 health professionals in many specialities: gynaecology, neonatology, paediatrics, surgery, radiography, biology, pharmacy, serving 100,000 patients annually.

Strengthening the fight against sickle cell disease
Fondation Pierre Fabre, as a project stakeholder, was heavily involved in the creation of a paediatric haematology and sickle-cell treatment unit. This unit carries the name of the Fooundation’s founder and was also inaugurated on 2 June, just after the Fifth International Sickle Cell Symposium on Sickle Cell Disease in Kinshasa, hosted by the REDAC (Sickle Cell Disease Research Network in Central Africa) last 29-31 May. The Foundation was already supporting the centre’s efforts in this realm in 2012 and 2013 (funding for screening, treatment and healthcare personnel training).

*€11 million in public subsidies, €7 million in private grants, and €8 million in loans.