The Details

It has arrived! We leave today for the Democratic Republic of Congo. There are three of us traveling together: Paul Tuttle, med-peds resident, Tim Rice, teaching physician in adult and pediatric medicine, and myself (OB/GYN resident). We are taking 9 containers packed with medical books and supplies which have been donated, and we are praying they make all the transitions through the airports!

Tentative Schedule

Sept 29-30: Fly to Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

Oct 1: Sleep, get oriented in Kinshasa, visit medical school

Oct 2: Fly to Vanga at 6am to start work at the hospital

Oct 2-16: Work at the hospital, with surgeries M, W, F

Oct 16: Fly back to Kinshasa

Oct 16-25: Teach at the medical school in Kinshasa

Oct 26-27: Fly home

We plan to collaborate with surgeons and physicians in Vanga Evangelical Hospital, about 300 miles east of Kinshasa (a short plane ride away from Kinshasa). Vanga Hospital is a 500 bed referral medical center that has been serving the rural poor in the heart of Congo for over 100 years. They have requested surgical teams to come and teach the healthcare providers and to care for patients. The hospital has ongoing training of several Family Medicine residents and provides an opportunity for medical students to see patients in a rural setting. Vanga is a very busy referral hospital, serving a population of 250,000 in addition to having patients who are sent from Kinshasa and internationally from Angola, etc. They are well-known in the area and have an excellent reputation for low cost quality care. There is a need for surgeons to repair fistulas, which is my special area of interest and passion. The fistula—injuries to the bowel and bladder—are mainly due to prolonged labor complications. Rape/assault is also a cause, although this is more likely in the eastern regions of Congo. There are also patients undergoing infertility evaluation due to the high cultural importance of having kids. I am eager to care for these patients!

When we travel back to Kinshasa, we will be visiting the local medical schools as well as several clinics/orphanages/schools. I hope to give health lectures (translated into French) and provide hands on teaching at these sites. My missions philosophy is that we should participate in sustainable, collaborative efforts rather than paternalistic, one-time experiences. The partnership between New City Fellowship (the sponsoring church here in St. Louis) and these entities in Congo has been ongoing for approx 10 years. Dr. Tim Rice has been working on health related issues in Congo for the past 6 years as a result of interactions with Congolese pastors who are immigrants/refugees living in St. Louis. New City Fellowship has a long term relationship with Congo; in addition to healthcare training, there are ongoing efforts in caring for orphans, bolstering the educational system, and aiding economic development with microfinance and small businesses. It is exciting to join this effort!