Key Points
- More than 600 congregants, pastors and delegates from low-income backgrounds received free healthcare in Manono and Kalemie, thanks to a mobile clinic deployed during United Methodist annual conferences.
- Funded entirely by Bishop Nelson Kalombo Ngoy’s own resources, the campaign enabled the diagnosis of serious medical conditions and provided follow-up care.
- Faced with extreme poverty and little medical care in the Tanganyika region, leaders are appealing for support from international partners.
More than 600 people received free healthcare during United Methodist annual conferences meeting in the southeastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, thanks to a mobile clinic set up by Bishop Nelson Kalombo Ngoy.
For many delegates, pastors and congregants from low-income backgrounds, this was the first time they had ever seen a doctor.
“It was truly necessary for us to be able to care for our brothers and sisters in Manono, in the Kamalondo Conference, as well as here in Kalemie,” said Dr. Élisée Kilumba, coordinator of medical ministries for the Tanganyika Episcopal Area and a general practitioner, who oversaw both campaigns. “We are very pleased with this initiative, because we saw in Manono that this effort was truly essential.”
Funded entirely by Ngoy, the campaign made it possible to diagnose serious medical conditions and provide unprecedented medical care to church leaders.
A team of three doctors, five medical assistants and five nurses conducted the consultations: about one week in Manono, where the Kamalondo Conference encompasses 10 districts, and four days in Kalemie, where the Tanganyika Conference includes four districts. According to Kilumba, approximately 430 people were treated in Manono and 200 in Kalemie.
The medical teams had primarily expected to treat cases of malaria, typhoid fever or diarrhea. The reality turned out to be more serious.
“We observed numerous cases of diarrhea and drug-resistant malaria, as the extremely poor population lacks access to adequate care — which contributes to the development of drug resistance,” Kilumba said. Thanks to effective medications available onsite, the team was able to relieve symptoms and treat illnesses.
The region’s poverty is reflected in the cases they encountered. Kilumba recalled a 10-year-old child who had never been treated at a hospital due to a lack of funds and who, until then, had received only traditional remedies made from roots. “Paying for medicine when you haven’t even eaten yet is out of reach for many,” he added.
Senga Londwa Rubain, a lay leader for the Tanganyika Episcopal Area, praised the medical initiative.
“Since the election of (Ngoy), he has made a real difference in this episcopal region,” he said, noting the large turnout in Manono, where doctors were able to screen participants onsite. “If these efforts can continue next year, it will truly be a good thing.”
The team also conducted screening for diabetes and high blood pressure.
A life saved during the campaign
Kilumba said a female pastor suffering from abdominal pain and cramps came in for a consultation. Tests revealed a ruptured cyst causing internal bleeding.
“Thanks to this consultation, we were able to detect the condition in time and operate on her that very night,” he said. “Today, she is almost fully recovered. That is why we hope these campaigns will continue: They allow us, with God’s help, to keep saving lives.”
Cathérine Shabani, 60, a mother of 11 and a member of the Jerusalem Church in Kalemie, made the trip for a health checkup.
“I thank God for inspiring our bishop to set up this mobile clinic so we could receive treatment,” she said, expressing her hope that the free clinic would be held every year.
Shenda Shuku Jean, lay vice-leader of the Kalemie District and evangelistic pastor of the local church in Tembo, 90 kilometers from the city, was treated for pain in his left shoulder related to poorly managed hypertension.
“This is the first time this has happened in our Kalemie District,” he said. “The work our bishop is doing gives us the courage and conviction to truly believe that we have a shepherd who remembers his flock.” He estimated that a similar consultation would have cost him more than 200,000 Congolese francs at a public hospital.
For Pastor Marceline Ilunga, 66, of the Kaseke Church, the initiative suggests a bygone era. “I saw initiatives like this in the church many years ago, during the time of Bishop Wakadilo (Bishop Ngoy Nkimba Mwenze Wakadilo Maurice),” she said.
Pastor Adolphine Ngoy, 61, who has been in ministry since 1986, received a comprehensive health screening that included tests for high blood pressure, blood sugar and malaria.
Banza Mukalayi Rubain, who serves as a protocol officer at the Jerusalem Church in Kasolo near Kalemie, highlighted the value of having a clinic near conference venues. “Access to healthcare remains a problem for low-income people,” he said. “Having a clinic nearby allows the church to prevent certain problems and intervene in a timely manner.”
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Local funding, persistent needs
The medications distributed were funded by Ngoy, and not external partners, Kilumba said. “He obtains these medications through various means, which are often insufficient, and even makes an effort to use his own funds,” Rubain said.
Kilumba appealed to United Methodist partners for help.
Of the 14 districts in the newly established Tanganyika Episcopal Area, only four have a health facility. He said only one is viable.
“The others operate under conditions that are worse than substandard: Patients lie on the floor, without mattresses, without beds, and without laboratory equipment,” he said. “We keep our faith in God’s help and in that of our partners … to achieve our goals.”
Londe is the French-language content coordinator for Africa at United Methodist Communications and a correspondent for UM News in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
News media contact: Julie Dwyer at [email protected]. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free UM News Digest.
