Kinshasa General Hospital
Encyclopedia
Kinshasa General Hospital is a hospital in Kinshasa
, Democratic Republic of Congo. Before the ousting of President Mobutu Sese Seko
it was known as Mama Yemo Hospital after the president's mother. The 2000 bed hospital registers over 3,000 consultations daily. It was one of the first places where AIDS
was observed.
After national independence (1960), most of the hospital's Belgian
physicians and surgeons returned home. After the violence attending independence had quieted, American missionary physician and surgeon Dr. William Close
(1924 – 2009) became administrator of the hospital and recruited physicians from around the world. The maternity ward was upgraded and soon averaged 120 deliveries a day, second only to a hospital in Tokyo
. Close also oversaw the building and management of a 700-ton hospital ship that treated people up and down the Congo River
. Eventually, however, Close grew disillusioned by the growing corruption and disintegration and returned home in 1977. After the ousting of Mobutu (1997), the hospital's eight operating suites were again rebuilt with Close's assistance.
But the level of medical care remains bleak. Recent media reports indicate that the hospital often runs dangerously low on medical supplies, and doctors are forced to wait for patients, or their families, to bring money or even medical supplies, like bandages, before they can provide treatment.
Kinshasa
Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....
, Democratic Republic of Congo. Before the ousting of President Mobutu Sese Seko
Mobutu Sese Seko
Mobutu Sese Seko Nkuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga , commonly known as Mobutu or Mobutu Sese Seko , born Joseph-Désiré Mobutu, was the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1965 to 1997...
it was known as Mama Yemo Hospital after the president's mother. The 2000 bed hospital registers over 3,000 consultations daily. It was one of the first places where AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
was observed.
History
Prior to independence from Belgium, the country had one of the best-regarded hospital systems on the continent - albeit one that was limited almost entirely to the white population. Doctors at the hospital recall a time when patients were transferred from South Africa to Kinshasa for a higher level of care.After national independence (1960), most of the hospital's Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
physicians and surgeons returned home. After the violence attending independence had quieted, American missionary physician and surgeon Dr. William Close
William Close
William Taliaferro Close was an American surgeon who played a major role in stemming a 1976 outbreak of the Ebola virus in Zaire, the first major outbreak of the viral hemorrhagic fever in Central Africa, and preventing its further spread...
(1924 – 2009) became administrator of the hospital and recruited physicians from around the world. The maternity ward was upgraded and soon averaged 120 deliveries a day, second only to a hospital in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. Close also oversaw the building and management of a 700-ton hospital ship that treated people up and down the Congo River
Congo River
The Congo River is a river in Africa, and is the deepest river in the world, with measured depths in excess of . It is the second largest river in the world by volume of water discharged, though it has only one-fifth the volume of the world's largest river, the Amazon...
. Eventually, however, Close grew disillusioned by the growing corruption and disintegration and returned home in 1977. After the ousting of Mobutu (1997), the hospital's eight operating suites were again rebuilt with Close's assistance.
But the level of medical care remains bleak. Recent media reports indicate that the hospital often runs dangerously low on medical supplies, and doctors are forced to wait for patients, or their families, to bring money or even medical supplies, like bandages, before they can provide treatment.