financial report 2004
financial report 2005
financial report 2006

- SUPPORT -

WHAT WE SUPPORT

View CME BROCHURE Pdf

- 40 Years of Medical Care

In the centre of Africa, sits Nyankunde, a small village near the eastern border of the DRC (formerly Zaire). In 1966, CME was set up in Nyankunde by five local churches. For nearly 40 years, CME served an immediate population of 150,000 and supported medical services (a medical training school, a pharmacy, and specialist hospital treatment) in an area the size of France, with an estimated population of 8 million!
In 2002 CME employed 350 staff, had 250 hospital beds, saw 2000 outpatients a month, performed 250 operations a month, distributed medicines to numerous out-lying dispensaries and, further still, ran a nursing school with 120 students and a university with 100 students.

- Conflict and Destruction

In 1996, war started in the north-east of the country and since that time, much fighting and bloodshed
has taken place. Over 10 African countries have been involved and old tribal conflicts have been inflamed. Most estimates put the number of deaths resulting directly and indirectly from the war in excess of 4.5 million. 2.5 million people were displaced. Since 2003, United Nations troops have been deployed in various towns to try to bring peace and stability.

- Massacre

On September 5th 2002, CME,which for the most part had been un-touched directly by the wars, was attacked. Within half an hour, 1000 people were murdered including patients, hospital staff and villagers. After days being held hostage at Nyankunde, the remaining patients and staff fled on foot. Most travelled south,walking for two weeks through the rain forest with nothing but the clothes that they were wearing. Mercifully, no more died and 4 babies were born en route! Nyankunde became a ‘ghost-town’ and the medical centre was looted and largely destroyed.

- Rebuilding CME

Most of the people eventually settled in a town called Beni, situated 150 km south of Nyankunde. Since that time, they have begun to rebuild what remains of the medical centre in a collection of rented buildings such as a former school, a warehouse, and a family home.
Other CME staff settled eventually in Bunia to the east where a small 50 bed hospital has been established with one doctor and a small number of nurses. At Nyankunde there are now 65 beds and there were over 15,000 outpatient consultations in 2006. CME in Beni employs 70 staff including 2 doctors. They run a 82 bed hospital with a pharmacy and an operating theatre. Approximately 240 operations are being performed each month.

The nursing school has restarted in Beni and Nyankunde, with 105 students enrolled. The
facilities are basic and student accommodation is poor. In addition, 238 university level students were enrolled in 2006.

- An Uncertain Future

In 2006, DRC held its first elections in over 40 years. With increasing stability CME is starting to plan the construction of its new buildings on recently purchased sites.
Despite some hope returning to DRC, the international rescue commitee has estimated that 1200 people die daily as a result of what Unicef calls ‘the world’s deadliest humanitarian crisis since world war 2.’ The CME leadership has decided, for the time being, to try to support medical work at each of the three locations.

- Refugees

CME helped run a number of refugee camps for displaced peoples. Thankfully most of these people have now been able to leave the camps in order to try to rebuild new homes.

mudhut at the refugee camp in beni
the home of cme finance director, now in ruins
medical supplies now kept in a coffee store room