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METROPOLIS HEALTH +: Dr. Chocolat, you are a colonel-major physician and the director general of the Edith Lucie Bongo Ondimba General Hospital in Oyo since August 2021. Before this appointment, you led the Adolphe-Sicé General Hospital in Pointe-Noire. Can you tell us about your professional background, your past experiences, and what motivated you to get involved in hospital management in the service of public health?

DR JEAN RAOUL CHOCOLAT: I am a colonel-major physician and have been leading the Edith Lucie Bongo Ondimba General Hospital in Oyo since August 2021, after having led the Adolphe-Sicé General Hospital in Pointe-Noire. My career has been built around a single goal: making healthcare accessible to the population. Very early on, I faced the limits of our healthcare system — lack of resources, infrastructure, and sometimes even commitment — which pushed me to take action. In Cuvette-Ouest, between 2008 and 2010, I initiated free cesarean sections and

In Cuvette-Ouest, between 2008 and 2010, I initiated free cesarean sections and major obstetric procedures, significantly reducing maternal and infant mortality. Later assigned to Lékoumou (2010-2017), I had to take on multiple responsibilities due to a lack of staff, but this challenge taught me resilience. There, we consolidated free cesarean sections, launched free pediatric emergency services, improved access to healthcare for indigenous peoples, and rehabilitated several healthcare facilities. These experiences shaped my commitment, which was confirmed in 2017 by my appointment as director of Adolphe-Sicé Hospital, and then in 2021 at Edith Lucie Bongo Ondimba Hospital. Everywhere I have worked, my mission has remained the same: to place hospital management at the service of public health and to meet the concrete needs of the population.

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Dr. Chocolat, can you describe to us the main mission of the Édith Lucie Bongo Ondimba Hospital and its concrete impact on the health of the populations of Cuvette and neighboring regions?

Inaugurated in 2017, the Édith Lucie Bongo Ondimba General Hospital in Oyo has become a medical reference point in northern Congo within just a few years. Its mission is clear: to bring specialized quality care closer to the populations of Cuvette and the surrounding regions. Equipped with a modern technical platform, the facility offers services previously available only in Brazzaville or abroad: hemodialysis, advanced laboratory, anatomical pathology, trauma care with prosthesis implantation, as well as high-performance imaging including CT scan, MRI, and angiography. It also houses CREPIT, a research center specializing in infectious and tropical diseases.

Today, the hospital reaches a new milestone by developing a cardiac surgery program in partnership with Professor Jean-Paul Couetil and the Brazzaville University Hospital (CHU). In less than a decade, it has already established itself as a key link in the Congolese healthcare system and a center of excellence for specialized care.

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The hospital operates partly thanks to medical cooperation with Cuba. What are the main benefits of this partnership for patients and local staff?

Medical cooperation with Cuba is a major asset for the Édith Lucie Bongo Ondimba General Hospital. Cuban specialists bring their expertise in specialized fields such as anesthesia and intensive care, maxillofacial surgery, pediatrics, internal medicine, and nephrology. Their presence helps to address the chronic shortage of qualified personnel. Additionally, the recent recruitment of young Cuban doctors strengthens the medical team in the long term and improves the quality of patient care.

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What measures has the hospital implemented to ensure that healthcare is accessible to all social groups, particularly rural populations?

The Édith Lucie Bongo Ondimba Hospital ensures that all social groups, including rural populations, can access quality healthcare. The fees, set by the management committee, are intentionally kept affordable: a consultation costs 5,000 FCFA, and hemodialysis, after an initial session of 25,000 FCFA, is reduced to 5,000 FCFA. The hospital strictly follows national free healthcare policies and regularly organizes screening and treatment campaigns, particularly during scientific days in honor of Édith Lucie Bongo. Specific cardiology campaigns, including the free placement of stents and pacemakers, have also benefited the population.

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What are the main challenges the hospital is currently facing, and what innovations or strategies do you envision to improve the quality of care? What are your ambitions for the Edith Lucie Bongo Ondimba Hospital in the coming years?

 Like many healthcare facilities in the country, the Edith Lucie Bongo Ondimba Hospital faces the constraint of limited resources. However, this reality does not hinder its determination to innovate. The goal remains clear: to develop appropriate strategies to maintain and enhance the quality of care, while strengthening the hospital's role as a center of medical excellence for the years to come.

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How does the hospital perpetuate the spirit and values of Madame Édith Lucie Bongo Ondimba, particularly her commitment to maternal and child health?

The Édith Lucie Bongo Ondimba General Hospital preserves the memory and dedication of a figure who was emblematic of maternal and child health in Congo. The values associated with her name continue to guide the teams in their daily mission: empathy, dedication, impartiality, humanity, temperance, universality, and friendliness. More than just an acronym, these principles constitute a true ethical and professional compass, inspiring every act of care and every project in the service of patients.