New Hospital (Summer 2011) "Health Alliance Goma" our new hospital is scheduled to open soon. We are in the process of renovating a spacious building, that will serve as our hopsital site. The facility will be a women's and children's hospital, catering to the special needs of mothers and children in the Goma area of DRC.
waiting room
Mattresses arriving
New Laboratory (2011) In partnership with World Wide Labs, we will open a new laboratory at Health Alliance Goma this summer. This will provide a variety of much needed diagnostic testing to both Health Alliance Goma and Don Bosco Ngagni. It will also serve a s reference laboratory for surrounding clinics and health care facilities.
Fully Funded Thanks to our generous donors!
Electricity for Sha Sha Refugee Camp school and clinic
In 2011 we plan to install a generator and solar panels to provide electricity to the Sha Sha refugee camp primary school and a small two room clinic there.The clinic is the only source of health care for the camp. They perform deliveries , care for Malaria and other infectious diseases, as well as, trauma and injuries.
Estimated cost for the projects is 4000$ We have raised 1000$ so far
Sha Sha refugee camp
Ongoing Projects
Clean Water (started 2010) At Bosco Lac we are implementing a simple but effective water filtration and chlorination project to provide clean water to the local population. Water is abundant in the Goma area, thanks to the presence of Lake Kivu. Clean sanitary water is however a scarce commodity. With a combination of education about water borne disease, water filtration and the addition of chlorine to water gathered from the lake, clean drinking water can be made available for just pennies.
women fill Gerry cans with water in Lake Kivu
A solution of Chlorine is added to each water container
Women's Livestock Project (started 2010) We are starting a goat and cattle raising project for the women of the Shasha refugee camp. This project will provide a source of income and food for the women and allow them to regain financial independence and care for their families.
Brother Jean Pierre purchasing goats
Br Jean Pierre, Dr Joseph and some of the Shasha women who will benefit from the project
South Kivu Highlands Family Planning and HIV Prevention Project (2010-2011) Project Congo and New Era Volunteers, a charity in the United Kingdom, have partnered to train four educators to travel to villages in the remote south Kivu highlands and teach Family Planning and HIV prevention. The team completed their training in Rwanda in September 2010 an have completed an initially trip and full needs assessment. We hope to be able to expand this project in 2011 and eventually bring more health care into this impoverished area.
Our Health Care Team
Villagers gather in a remote village to learn about family planning and HIV prevention
Completed Projects
Completed Projects Sending Basic Medical Supplies (2009) Project Congo has been sending a steady supplies of basic medical equipment to the Medical Center at Don Bosco Ngangi. In 2009 we sent: -three Invacare oxygen contentrators - a suction machine - stethoscopes - various sized blood pressure cuffs; neonate-adult - pulse oximeters - suction catheter - assorted sized oxygen masks and cannulas - Multiple medications - suture material - surgical instruments
Sea Container (shipped out Oct 23, 2009 ) Thanks to all who made this happen! With the aid of Salesian Mission Services in New Rochelle New York and the Veterans Administration in New Orleans, we shipped a sea container of medical equipment in early August. The container had all the equipment needed to set up a radiology department including a CAT scanner! It had an operating table, surgical light, anesthesia machine and electrocautery unit. It was a good start toward being fully surgical capable. Thanks to a donation of oxygen tanks from West Chester Fire Department we sent 35 oxygen tanks and an Invacare Homefill filling unit to further improve oxygen availability at the center In addition the container will have everyday needed equipment such laboratory equipment, exam tables, monitors, disposable supplies and donated medications. Radiology Project (competed in 2010) Ngangi now has X-ray capabilities with the addition of a portable HF-100 X-ray machine and Ultrasound unit. This equipment is invaluable in managing the day to day cases seen at the center. Ultrasound provides a way to monitor pregnant patients and do basic abdominal diagnostic testing. The X-ray machines allows better care of fractures and monitoring of TB patients.
The CT scanner has been donated to the Provincial Hospital, in exchange for CT services for Ngagni patient. This unit will now serve the entire Eastern Congo region. It will be third CT scanner in the entire country . The other units are currently 1000's of kilometers away in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi.
The HF-100 arrives at Ngangi
measuring to build the mobile stand
The new X-ray Unit in use with Dr Joseph and Dr Alfred
Expansion of Ngangi Medical Center (2010) Starting in March the Medical Center began an expansion into an adjacent building, to better be able to put the medical equipment from the sea container to use. The expansion has effectively doubled the square footage of the center. The new facility has a surgical and endoscopy suite, radiology and an ENT/Dental room for eye exams and dental care.
New Surgey and Endoscopy Suite at Ngangi
Dream Projects
Vaccination Program Ngangi Medical Center Despite the high prevalence of life threatening infectious diseases, few children in Goma are vaccinated. The Eastern Congo region has the worlds highest prevalence of Tuberculosis. Death from Tetanus is not uncommon, as well as, the usual childhood illnesses. In addition Polio is making a strong come back in the region. UNICEF has shipped numerous vaccines to the Democratic Republic of Congo, but they remain mired in the capital city of Kinshasa, 1000's of miles away, with no effective distribution plan. Project Congo would like to send a shipmen BCG Tuberculosis vaccine, as well as, other basic vaccines in 2011 to protect children in the area.
Laboratory in a Suitcase For Luvungi Clinic We would like to supple Luvungi Clinic in South Kivu with basic laboratory equipmet suitable for a non electric facility. The best way to do this would be to provide them with"Laboratory in a Suitcase." Tis ingenious kit contains solar panels, microscope, hand cranked centrifuge and basic laboratory simple assay tests all packed in a small transportable suitcase.
New Ambulance Stressed by years of hard use
transporting victims from the outlying refugee camps and villages, over
treacherous and inhospitable terrain and conditions, the Don Bosco Ngangi
Ambulance is on it's last leg.
Help us get an Ambulance from the USA to
Africa. If your EMS or Fire Department knows of a vehicle for potential donation
please contact us! We also need to raise fund to cover the transport cost by sea
of over 3,000 dollars. Help us keep ambulance service available to innocent
victims in need in the war zone!
Current Don Bosco Ngangi Ambulance
The spartan interior of the current Ngangi Ambulance
Hospital Wide Oxygen System High impact Projects has identified a unit that could not only provide oxygen to the Medical Center but could be used to fill oxygen canisters on a large scale. Currently there is no supplier of oxygen in the entire eastern Congo region. With the oxygen unit the Medical Center could supply the entire area with oxygen. This would provide jobs, vocational training and income. Since the Medical Center is a non-profit charity, all proceeds would be used provide medical care to the indigent population.
The project is a dream because the Unit is expensive and large. It would require shipment by sea. If the dream does become a reality, we already have High Impact Project Engineers willing to travel to Goma to install it and train the personnel
