Key points :
- The United Methodist General Hospital in Tunda is the only facility of its kind within a 100-kilometer radius.
- The hospital has received an investment of more than half a million dollars from the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries.
- The new building replaces an older facility that was deteriorating.
- The hospital is a “living testimony” to the church’s commitment to the health of the people in the region, says Bishop Gabriel Unda Yemba.
Sitting on his hospital bed, looking relieved, 38-year-old Mukindji Mpoyo exudes a contagious joy of life.
Despite the 200-kilometer journey he has undertaken from neighboring Sankuru province to be treated at the United Methodist General Hospital in Tunda, he appears serene and hopeful.
“I heard about this hospital in our village,” Mpoyo said. “Here, we find quality care and caring staff.”
Despite the distance separating him from his loved ones, Mpoyo voices no regrets. He said he has found healing at Tunda General Hospital.
“After going to several hospitals back home, I was brought here in a serious condition,” he said. “But after receiving treatment, I’m feeling better and better, and I'm continuing to be under observation.”
Like Mpoyo, several other people have been going regularly to Tunda for treatment since the hospital was inaugurated in July 2022, during the centenary celebrations of the United Methodist Church in Eastern Congo.
Tunda is one of the ecclesiastical districts of the Eastern Congo Conference, where the first American missionaries, sent by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and led by Ansil Lynn (aka Uwandji Lupungu), settled in 1922. The hospital was started by Dr. William Bryant Lewis and his wife, Zaidee Nelson Lewis, a nurse.
More recently, Tunda General Hospital has benefited from a substantial investment by the Board of Global Ministries, which has injected $700,000 into the construction of a new building. The financial support has also enabled the hospital to enhance its technical facilities and acquire new equipment.
Last year, a research laboratory focused on rapid diagnosis of mpox was established at the hospital through a partnership between The United Methodist Church and the Institut National des Recherches Biomédicales (National Institute for Biomedical Research).
With 125 beds, Tunda General Hospital is the only medical facility within a 100-kilometer radius.
Prior to construction, the hospital operated out of an old building built by American missionaries.
The United Methodists of Eastern Congo tried in 2016 to stabilize the old hospital building, but Dr. Damas Lushima, coordinator of the United Methodist Church’s Health Department for the Episcopal Region of Eastern Congo, said it could not be saved.
Together, Eastern Congo leaders and Global Health staff decided that a hospital was still a critical need in Tunda and that the solution was to get rid of the old building.
“Nine new buildings have been constructed, forming a hospital complex with separate one-story wards for maternity, surgery, infectious diseases, radiology, laboratory work and other medical necessities,” Lushima said.
The new buildings are linked by a covered walkway, which is airy and open. Contractors drilled a borehole to tap into a clean water source, and a pump and piping system sends the water where it is needed. A new array of solar panels provides the hospital’s electricity for the water system and lighting. Even at night, the hospital has light, and women no longer give birth in the dark. New sanitary facilities complete the construction.
Drinking water is also available to the inhabitants of neighboring villages, so that members of the community come to draw water. Drinking water makes a major contribution to preventing disease and improving the overall health of the population.
Global Ministries’ Environmental Sustainability Unit provided a viable energy solution for Tunda, one of the first United Methodist facilities to receive a solar panel grid system. This type of clean, renewable energy system does not rely on an intermittent or nonexistent electrical grid. Investing in renewable energy solutions contributes to achieving a zero net carbon emissions target agreed by church agencies, including Global Ministries.
Dr. Claude Shosongo, the hospital’s medical director, said the new buildings and technical facilities at Tunda General Hospital have boosted confidence in the region.
“Tunda General Hospital’s new buildings and modern technical platform have truly transformed our ability to deliver quality care,” Shosongo said. “This modernization has boosted the population's confidence in our facility and enables us to attract patients from all over the region, offering them access to care they might not otherwise have had access to.”
Shosongo said the hospital has seen a sharp increase in patient attendance.
“Investing in our hospital’s infrastructure and equipment has been a turning point,” he said. “Not only can we now treat more patients in better conditions, but we have also gained the trust of the community.”
Last year, the average monthly attendance was 350 patients, or around 4,200 people annually. In 2024, the average is 400 people per month. But before the new buildings were built, the average was fewer than 200 people a month. The hospital has a staff of 53 providing care and support.
The success of Tunda General Hospital is a ray of hope in a region where access to health care remains a major challenge. Gabriel Unda Yemba, resident bishop of the United Methodist Church in Eastern Congo, said he sees this success as a divine blessing. He said he is proud to see the church playing such a vital role in people’s lives, offering quality care and meeting needs, even in the most remote areas.
“Tunda General Hospital is a living testimony to our church’s commitment to the health and well-being of our communities in the Eastern Congo region.
“We are proud to see our church playing such a vital role in people’s lives, bringing healing and comfort,” Unda said. “This success encourages us to pursue our mission with even greater determination and dedication.”
Pierre Kenga and members of his family traveled 80 kilometers from the village of Dikwadjondo, in neighboring Sankuru province, so that his sister could undergo surgery at Tunda General Hospital. During their stay, Kenga’s 8-month-old baby fell ill.
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“It was a very stressful situation,” Kenga said. “We were far from home, and my little sister and 8-month-old daughter needed medical attention.”
Tunda Hospital was able to care for the baby immediately. “We are extremely grateful to the medical staff,” Kenga said. “They saved the lives of my little sister and daughter.”
The Rev. Salumu Tambwe, district superintendent of Tunda, declared that the hospital is much more than just a health facility; it is a symbol of hope.
“Seeing patients come from so far away to be treated by us is immensely satisfying,” Tambwe said. “It shows that The United Methodist Church’s commitment to providing quality care is bearing fruit and strengthens our resolve to continue improving access to care for all, even in the most remote areas.”
Unda called for greater solidarity, encouraging everyone to support the hospital, whether through donations, volunteering or simply prayer. “We express our deep gratitude to the General Board of Global Ministries and all our partners who have made this dream possible.
“Thanks to their generosity and support, we were able to build this hospital and offer quality care to those who need it most,” Unda said. “This success is not an end in itself, but a call to redouble our efforts to serve our fellow man. May this hospital be a place of continuous learning, where we always seek to do better for our patients.”
Londe is a UM News correspondent in Congo.
News contact: Julie Dwyer, news editor, [email protected] or 615-742-5469. To read more United Methodist News, subscribe to the free Daily or Weekly Digests.
