Free childbirth and neonatal care in the DRC: Measures to guarantee accessibility for all
Nearly six months ago, the President of the Republic Félix Tshisekedi formalized the free coverage of childbirth and neonatal care in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This initiative, which initially only applied to Kinshasa, has been extended to the entire country. However, accessibility difficulties persist for certain patients, mainly due to their lack of means. The Minister of Public Health, Hygiene and Prevention Dr Roger Kamba recently reacted to this situation, warning healthcare providers and announcing sanctions for those who refuse to provide healthcare to people in distress.
In a recently published correspondence, Dr. Kamba stressed that health services must be accessible to all Congolese, particularly those who find themselves in distress. He recalled that every day, 70 women die during childbirth and that three babies out of 100 die at birth in the DRC. As part of free maternity care, more than 320 health centers and 50 general reference hospitals in Kinshasa have been selected to offer these services. The minister called on these establishments to never send away a patient in distress for financial or other reasons.
To ensure these measures are implemented, Dr Kamba announced sanctions. In the same correspondence, he suspended the medical directors of two hospitals in Kinshasa for not having taken care of a mother and her baby within the framework of free maternity, leading to the death of the patient. The suspension will take effect until the end of the in-depth investigations carried out for this purpose. In addition, the Akram Hospital Center in Limete in Kinshasa was also suspended for the same reasons.
These measures and sanctions aim to guarantee that free deliveries and neonatal care are truly accessible to all inhabitants of the DRC. It is essential to ensure that healthcare providers respect this initiative and that no patient is left without care due to financial constraints. Maternal and newborn health is essential for a country’s development, and the DRC is taking steps to ensure that every woman and child has access to quality care.