Kinshasa, November 3rd, 2026 (CPA).- The National Council of the Medical Association (CNOM) of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Kinshasa Urban Council of the Medical Association (CUOM) were on Tuesday urged to exercise restraint, engage in dialogue and reach a consensus in order to preserve unity within the medical profession, by the Coordinator of the NGO “Save the Medical Profession” (SCM-ONG).
“The NGO Save the Medical Profession calls on the CNOM and the CUOM to exercise restraint, engage in dialogue and reach a consensus in order to preserve unity within the medical profession in the DRC, in the face of institutional disagreements between the two bodies.
These tensions follow the decision of October 28th, 2026, through which the CNOM claims to have removed the CUOM members from their functions, assumed responsibility for the continuity of its services and appointed a commission to organize elections within the urban council,” said Dr. Felly Bakandi, Coordinator of SCM-ONG.
According to him, the medical profession does not need confrontation between institutions, but rather responsible governance, institutional justice and lasting cohesion in the service of all doctors in the DRC.
SCM-ONG, he said, recalls that the Medical Association is a common institution whose preservation goes beyond individual interests, leadership disagreements and personal ambitions.
“No institutional dispute should undermine its functioning, credibility and unity,” Dr. Bakandi stressed.On this occasion, SCM-ONG put forward several proposals, including the convening of an expanded extraordinary general assembly by the National President of the CNOM, bringing together members of its Executive Board, officials of the Kinshasa Urban Council of the Medical Association, former presidents and honorary members of the Association, respected senior figures and personalities within the medical profession, representatives of various medical trade union and professional associations, as well as other key stakeholders in the profession.
It also proposed the consensual and temporary suspension of the electoral process until the extraordinary general assembly is held and its resolutions adopted; the establishment of an independent mediation and legal expertise commission; the adoption of a joint roadmap specifying arrangements for managing the transition, the electoral timetable, guarantees of impartiality and mechanisms to prevent future institutional conflicts; and a formal commitment to respecting the resolutions adopted.
Doctors urged to put the interests of the profession first
The Coordinator of SCM-ONG also called on the National President of the CNOM, officials of the CUOM and all doctors to give priority to the supreme interests of the medical profession.“We must not allow our disagreements to weaken an institution built at great sacrifice by previous generations.
The CNOM and the CUOM are not rival institutions; they are components of the same professional body, called upon to work together in a complementary manner and with mutual respect,” he advised, emphasizing that the aim was neither to defend one side nor to challenge an authority, but to seek a fair, lawful, equitable and lasting solution.
“This is not the time for confrontation, but for reconciliation. This is not the time for division, but for unity.
This is not the time for personal interests, but for safeguarding our common institutional heritage. The medical profession belongs to all doctors and must not be held hostage to a few leadership disagreements,” he insisted.
The NGO “Save the Medical Profession” is an organization active in defending medical ethics, professional conduct and the safety of healthcare in the DRC, it was recalled. ACP/