Oblate Missions: The Oblate Mission Development Office
Maternity Hospital for Opala, DRC
Published on 12th January 2012.
Opala in DRC’s Eastern Province is a district that includes many scattered villages along the Lomami River, a tributary of the majestic Congo River, deep in the equatorial forest. The only viable way in or out is by river, crossing the Equator each time.
People live by subsistence agriculture and fishing. Opala’s rice fetches premium prices in towns like Kisangani, 550 kms down-river, and faraway Kinshasa, but transport is limited to overloaded dugout canoes, lashed together. 'Rice-boats' make the 2-week journey to market in Kisangani and take a further 3 weeks for the return journey against the flow of the rivers.
These forest communities still suffer from the after-effects of the recent civil war, which destroyed what little infrastructure they had - including Opala’s hospital. Average life expectancy is about 40 years, and infant mortality in the area is close to 30%. Hygiene is a major challenge, as are tuberculosis, neo-natal tetanus, malaria, water-borne disease and — in the aftermath of years of civil war and the Rwandan-Burundian-Ugandan occupation — HIV/AIDS.
Six competent and energetic young Oblates who work in this area. They have been given the responsibility to develop various health and education services in Opala, including a maternity unit, located beside a clinic (also managed by the Oblates) in the village of Yaoleka. The village community provided the site and the Oblates's task was to construct, equip and staff a small maternity hospital. They are working in partnership with the local authorities and answer to the chief medical officer. The nearest hospital to Opala is 280 kms away in Isangi, and can only be reached by river.
Today, thanks to a grant of €80,186 (75% of the total cost) from Misean Cara, construction work on the new maternity hospital is well underway.
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