Institut Supérieur en Sciences Infirmières (ISSI)
In 2005, LINCCO partnered with Servir Plus to send a Canadian nurse to the Institut Supérieur en Sciences Infirmières (ISSI) for eight weeks to train nurses working at the Centre hospitalier Monkole (Monkole Health Care Centre) in Kinshasa. ISSI is a 50 student nursing program, started in 1994.
Since 2005, LINCCO has sent five Canadian nurses in mission to Kinshasa, the Congolese capital. In August 2010, a nurse from Quebec City flew for a ten-month nursing mission organized by LINCCO. Until July 2011, she has been working with ISSI nurses and teachers to develop a manual of techniques and nursing processes, revise training course assessments, as well as directly monitor, assess and train interns and students. In addition, she continued attending training courses in pediatrics, maternity, surgery, and internal medicine at Monkole Hospital twice a week to experience Congolese nursing education.
In the summer of 2011, a nurse from Saguenay went to ISSI to give courses in child psychiatry.
Monkole Health Care Centre
Since 2006, a Canadian neuro paediatrician, Dr. Albert Larbrisseau from the Centre hospitalier
Ste-Justine in Montreal, went four times to Monkole Health Care Centre to train physicians in
specialized pediatric subjects.
In 2010, the Assaly Foundation donates 25 000$ for seven scholarships to physicians to obtain
a specialized training and accreditation. They will work in the new Monkole Hospital.
Background on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
- DRC is struggling to rebuild following ethnic strife that began in 1994 and then a five year civil war that ended in 2003, estimated to have caused between three and four million deaths. This war was especially brutal, with the use of child soldiers and rape. Repeated pillaging, lawlessness and internal refugee migration further de-stabilized the DRC.
- Democratic elections were held in 2006 and the fragile peace is holding and rebuilding is underway.
- Despite the ending of hostilities, the lot of DR Congo’s citizens has improved only marginally. It is estimated that in 2005, 1,000 people were dying every day from war-related causes, including disease, hunger and violence. It is also estimated that 2.7 million people have HIV/AIDS of a total 65 million population, causing 100,000 deaths/year.
- Decades of decline, instability and war have left DRC’s economy and institutions weakened. Most economic activity is informal. Institutions such as all levels of education and health care are inadequate for the needs of the people.
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Democratic Republic of Congo
