MHCD Mission in Health Care and Development is a NGO whose main objective is the reduction of infant mortality rates, promoting primary health care and poverty reduction. We have a 50 bed capacity Hospital in Luvungi village,Uvira District with different departments and services that help us in realizing these objectives and vision. In 2014, we received very many children and women suffering from different diseases and 80% of them were not able to pay for medical care. Even though the services we offer are cheap and affordable but still many are not able to pay because they live much below the poverty line. This made us lack medicine and purchasing other medical materials was difficult and this has brought along so many challenges and difficulties because we were forced to offer them treatment since they did not have any other place to go to. This is why in 2015 we saw that we should focus on mother and child health.
We are planning to carry out the following activities:

Luvungi MHCD Hospital main building

1.    NUTRITIONAL CENTRE:

80% of the population in Uvira District practice Agriculture. Due to insecurity, many of them do not go to their farms and this caused very many children suffer from malnutrition due to lack of enough food. The orphaned and displaced children are the ones who are most vulnerable.MHCD has a nutritional centre in Luvungi and Kiliba that serves the children suffering from malnutrition. In 2015, we are planning to support 200 children and each shall have a budget of USD150 for full treatment and preventing malnutrition in their family.(USD 60 for nutritional food,USD40 medical care and USD50 for small business or agricultural projects that will help their families fight malnutrition and reducing poverty).When you support a child with malnutrition, you are supporting the whole family.

   
Luvungi and Kiliba nutritional centre

2.    MHCD COMMUNITY HEALTH INSURANCE:

At MHCD Luvungi Hospital, as I had said before, we usually receive very many women and children and they come from poor families. It’s hard for them to contribute in the treatment and this makes the Hospital suffer lack of medicine and then maintenance becomes very difficult. In 2014, we went through lots of ups and downs and its by the grace of God that we manage to pull out through. In bringing solution to this problem and help the Hospital to have a good future, we began a programme called community health insurance that’s a programme which we are thinking of looking for contributions and support for treatment for the women and children. We selected 2000 children and women and most of them are internally displaced and vulnerable. From our research, we saw that if we get USD 20 per person, it can help cover the medical bills per year. This is for the common diseases like malaria, worms, typhoid fever, maternity and general medical checkup. Many children and women are dying because they are seeking treatment very late when the disease is advanced.
If you support a child or a woman 20 dollars, you will have helped provide for him or her medical care for a whole year. You can choose to support one or many children or women. This will be possible if we get support for many children at once because it will help us in the purchasing of medicine and store them.



Women with their children coming to receive treatment at Luvungi Hospital

3.    BICYCLES FOR HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT:

Many women in Uvira District carry loads of luggage on their backs or heads and they have to walk for more than 30km carrying luggage’s of close to 30kgs.This has caused chronic back pains, miscarriages and for others death. In bringing a solution to this problem,MHCD has commenced a programme called bicycle for health and development that distributes freely new and very strong bicycles to vulnerable women especially raped victims,widows,traditional midwives, girls who gave birth to children out of wedlock and community health workers.
In 2015, we are planning to distribute 300 bicycles, one bicycle cost USD120.In providing bicycles to the women, you will be helping reduce poverty in the whole family and empower the women.



Dr.Luc has met women carrying heavy loads of luggges and he is sensitizing them on the dangers of the same.

4.    CITY OF HOPE CHILDREN’S HOME:

In the whole of Ruzizi valley and the Bafuliru Mountains, there was no orphanage or a centre taking care of street children. Children with no parents usually have lost direction in life because they do not have anywhere to go unless someone supports them. Some end up losing their lives.MHCD began a project of constructing the city of hope children’s home that will have 10 houses. Each house will have 3 bedrooms, sitting room, kitchen, toilets and bathrooms and will have a capacity of hosting 8 children per house. We shall pick on guardians from the raped victims or widows who will be taking care of them as their mothers. This will help them feel that they are in a family. The construction of one house will cost USD 9000.We kindly please request well wishers to support us so this programme can be successful.


City of Hope Children’s Home plan

5.    BIRTHING KIT CENTRE:

It’s now more than 5 years since MHCD has been distributing birthing kits and carrying out seminars on midwifery. Through this programme,we have been successful in reducing infant mortality rates and training traditional midwives.Birhting kits foundation Australia has been of great support to us in achieving this vision. In making this a sustainable and self help programme,we saw that we open a birthing kits centre that shall be having an internet café,library,birthing kits exposition room, office for keeping midwifery documents and store. We already have the building in place, we just need to furnish it. This shall cost USD 12,300.(internet connection and accessories USD5400,library books USD4700,tables,chairs and audio visual materials USD2200)
 

6.    LIBERTY SURGICAL CAMPAIGN:

At MHCD luvungi hospital we usually come across many cases that require specialists in surgery and gynaecology.Women suffering from diseases like fistula, goiter, cleft lips etc, those who can afford go to big cities and neighboring countries to look for medical care. Those with no means are forced to stay back at their homes and suffer. In helping these people with no money to pay for expensive surgeries, MHCD has started a campaign to help them with free operations called liberty surgical campaign. We are planning a surgical camp from 1st July 2015 to 31st July, 2015.We shall have specialists in gynaecology, surgery, internal medicine, ophthalmology and dental treatments from Kinshasa who will be performing operations and treating the sick. We have already registered 420 patients and they are waiting for Doctors. We have a budget of USD70 per person so the programme can be successful. This includes medicine, medical care and transport and food for Doctors during the month. When you support a needy person get an operation, you will have helped them to go back to work and never suffer again thus lead happy lives.

   
A child with Ophthalmology Doctor after operation at Luvungi Hospital And another child on malaria treatment.

7.    GREAT LAKE MEDICAL INSTITUTE:

This programme involves giving scholarships to young girls to learn midwifery. In DRCongo,we have a pigmies community that lives deep in the forests with no quick access to medical care and also other villages with no health centres.We chose 2 girls from 10 villages and those with secondary school education level who we enrolled in the midwifery school. When they finish education they will be going back to their villages and assist with deliveries, promote primary health care, family planning, immunizations and to train traditional midwives. We selected 20 students and each of them has to pay USD42 per month hence USD504 per year. When you support one student, you will be providing health care to more than 6000 people.

8.    COMMUNITY PHARMACY:

This is an external pharmacy that serves mostly the outpatients. In Luvungi, there are no good pharmacies that provide good and cheap medicines to people. Those around are very expensive. This is why MHCD opened a community pharmacy so we can assist the people get cheap and good quality medicine. In 2014 our community pharmacy helped people a lot. We would like to stock it to the full in this year 2015 so it can help a lot more other people and become a self help project in MHCD.The hospital and MHCD centres can be purchasing medicines there so they do not go far to look for medicine. Our budget is USD 3000 per month.


Uvira MHCD Clinic and Community Pharmacy

CONCLUSION:

As I said earlier on, this 2015 programme focuses on Mother and child health. This year we shall be working closely with the MHCD Hospital in Luvungi.All our clinics and medical centres will be transferring all major cases in Luvungi so we can follow up. Thank you very much for reading this newsletter. I hope and believe that you shall help and support us in a programme that you feel in your heart most suitable. We shall send you reports, financial reports and photos to all our supporters so you can know how your donation was used.100% of your donation go to the designated project. We do not take administration or pay staffs from your donations. Feel free to ask any question regarding MHCD or the programme.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR DONATION CONTACT:
DR. LUC MULIMBALIMBA
MHCD DIRECTOR
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
 Website: www.mhcdafrica.org