South Africa: Colonel Johannes Kwena Morake, the South African Army Artillery Formation Chief of Staff, has arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo to begin his tour of duty as the newly appointed Force Intervention Brigade MONUSCO Deputy Commander, whereby upon arrival, Colonel Morake paid a courtesy and sympathy visit to the victims of bomb blasting at Beni General Hospital on Monday.
This carnage happened in Kasindi during a church service, claiming fourteen civilian lives and injuring seventy-nine others, Kasindi, is 80 kilometres South of Beni on the border between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
Colonel Moraka and his entourage consisting of the outgoing Chief G2 Lieutenant Colonel David Kagisho Kekana, Force Intervention Brigade Medical Advisor, Major (Doctor) Nomonde Nomdzinwa and MONUSCO Deputy Head of Office in Beni, Mr Abdourahamane Ganda. After the assessment of the situation at the hospital, the Deputy Force Intervention Brigade Commander Colonel Moraka visited the Malawian Battalion (MALBATT), the Republic of South Africa Battalion (RSABATT) and the Republic of South Africa Quick Reaction Force (RSA QRF) for greetings in Beni Mavivi.
The main purpose of the visit to Beni General Hospital was to console and show empathy to the wounded and also to listen to the challenges the hospital is facing. Additionally, as part of the MONUSCO staff, the visit was also aimed at finding facts on challenges experienced and looking at how MONUSCO can alleviate some of these challenges.
Some of the main challenges raised by the hospital were the shortage of critical medical supplies for patients. A pledge was made by Force Intervention Brigade Medical Advisor, Major Dr Nomonde Nomdzinwa, with Dr Mouhamadou Dieye, Senior Medical officer of Senegal Formed Police Unit (SENPFU), to donate some of the critical medical supplies to Beni General Hospital.
The donations of the pledged medical supplies were done on Friday, 20 January 2023, at Beni General Hospital. The delivery of the medical suppliers was spearheaded by the outgoing Force Intervention Brigade Medical Advisor, Major (Doctor) Nomonde Nomdzinwa, who was born and bred in South Africa from the Free State Province.
Major (Doctor) Nomonde Nomdzinwa was also accompanied by Captain (Doctor) Jiwan Pamdey from the Nepalese Quick Reaction Force. The donation of medical supplies was a group effort by the various Battalions within the Force Intervention Brigade contingents, them being the Tanzania Battalion (TANZBATT), Malawian Battalion (MALBATT) and the Republic of South Africa Battalion (RSABATT).
Some of the urgent medical supplies which were donated included Wound dressing (bandages, gauze), Antiseptic solutions (betadine), Antibiotics (oral) and Analgesia.
Director of Beni General Hospital, Dr Jeremie Muhindo, appreciated and thanked MONUSCO and its contingents for the much-needed humanitarian relief. Whereby the director said, “I would like to take this opportunity, once again, to thank MONUSCO and the peacekeepers at large for the humanitarian relief provided to the hospital. These medical supplies will go a long way in assisting the causalities.”
