Signing a Protocol with the Health Department of Congo for Provision of Support for Basic Healthcare(March 30th)
Date :
May 10, 2016
Views :
1529
On March 30th, KOFIH signed a protocol with the Health Department of Congo for provision of support for basic healthcare at Seoul Grand Hyatt Hotel. Joseph(hereinafter referred to as `Dr. Congo`), the president of Congo, showed up to this event during his visit to Korea based on Korean President Lee, Myung Bak`s invitation.
The protocol on behalf of the both countries was signed by Kan, Kwang Soo, the president of KOFIH, and Victor Makwengay, the Minister of Health Department. Therefore, KOFIH will be providing 15 ambulances with medical equipment attached free of charge under a purpose to reinforce Congo`s capability in taking measures on its healthcare system.
Prior to the signing of the protocol, Victor Makwengay, the Minister of Health Department and former doctor, quoted "South Korea`s medical support for Congo is a definite sign indicating intimate level of cooperation and goodwill bonding the two countries" and he also quoted "15 ambulances provided by KOFIH are advancement to programs conducted by Dr. Congo Cinq Chantiers(The President`s 5 Projects) for modernization of healthcare system". In addition, the Minister of Health Department mentioned that the 15 mobile clinics are good symbols of goodwill and outstanding cooperation between Kinshasa and Korea and he promised to well-manage such mobile clinics.
In December 2009, according to the Dr. Congo`s doctor who participated in Lee, Jong Wook`s Fellowship Program, a program annually conducted by KOFIH to raise healthcare human resources in developing countries, due to the medical system in Dr. Congo forcing patients to pay for consumables during their visit to medical organization, averagely $20~25 per individual is raised per single treatment. Giving consideration to the fact that GNI per individual is $150, such cost isn`t affordable for the poor who barely make living day after day.
This is the reason why KOFIH selected `Mobile Clinic` as an item in this project to provide support for basic healthcare system in Dr. Congo.
According to the statistics in 2006, Dr. Congo has encountered a situation of having approximately 5,000 people, 75% of the entire population, making lives with less than a dollar for an individual to spend daily. The death rate of children under ages of one is 108 according to the statistics in 2008(4.1 for Korea in same year). To provide support for people of Dr. Congo suffering from desperate poverty, it was more urgent than anything else to aim at enhancement of national health through provision of support for basic health. Therefore, a project was performed for provision of `mobile clinics`.
Based on the budget of the government of South Korea, twelve single-ton trucks were modified into mobile clinics with 18 medical equipment including auto cardioverter, artificial defibrillators, neck/spine holder, laryngoscope kit, and medical aspirator.
54 medical equipment including ultrasonic, blood fridge, ECG, sterilizer, and malaria examining kit will be attached to 3.5-ton mobile clinics(3 vehicles) manufactured based on the support provided by STX Group, POSTCO, and Hyundai Motors.