World Health Day: Prioritizing patients to strengthen the healthcare system

Kinshasa, April 7^th, 2026 (CPA) – The need to prioritize patients in hospitals in order to strengthen the healthcare system was highlighted on Tuesday in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, during a conference organized on the occasion of World Health Day, celebrated every April 7, at the Bondeko General Referral Hospital. “Today, as we mark World Health Day, I call on medical staff to return to common sense and professional conscience, and to place patients at the center of their concerns. Let their health be the priority in order to strengthen our healthcare system,” said Dr. Patricien Gongo, Provincial Minister of Public Health, Hygiene and Prevention. “Our healthcare system requires continuous training. We are in the 21st century, and infrastructures must meet the needs of the population. Our health facilities must be equipped so that we can provide quality care, as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO),” he added. The provincial minister noted that the healthcare system faces several challenges, including continuous training of personnel, infrastructure and equipment. Dr. Gongo also urged participants to adopt a culture of hygiene to prevent diseases in the city, while commending the work of medical staff and the implementation of free maternity care through universal health coverage at the hospital. For his part, Dr. Alex Jinga, Medical Director of Bondeko General Referral Hospital, said that the conference provided an opportunity to reflect on the challenges and prospects of the healthcare system in Kinshasa. “As for our hospital, we are in our 39th year of existence. We are pleased that the minister joined us. Together, we reflected on ways and means to improve the healthcare system of the city in general and that of Bondeko Hospital in particular,” he stated. He indicated that Bondeko Hospital, in collaboration with Enabel, has implemented, through the “Bo Batelami” project, a system whereby healthcare services are paid for not individually, but through a package system. “Under this package, Enabel covers part of the costs while the population pays the remainder. We are awaiting the Ministry’s decision to strengthen the healthcare system through the triangle of provider training, equipment and infrastructure improvement,” he explained. Meanwhile, Mr. Melky Irondo, a health financing expert at Enabel, said that the organization supports Bondeko Hospital in the medical field, notably through the provision of medical equipment, construction of buildings, establishment of digital services and implementation of accounting software. Held under the theme “Let us unite for health; support science,” this day serves as an opportunity to assess the healthcare system. The conference was organized by Bondeko Hospital in collaboration with the Bondeko ya Sika non-profit organization and concluded with a tour of the hospital’s various departments.