Paul Carlson Medical Program Inc

The Paul Carson Medical Program (PCMP) provides medical and economic development support. We focus on improving medical care by working with the medical directors and doctors who oversee the healthcare system of 5 hospitals, 120 clinics and a nursing school in the northwest region of Congo. We multiply impact by training Congolese medical professionals through our Medical Ambassador volunteer program. We aim to work with, not for, people who are making a difference in their own communities. PCMP is an active partner in training, financing and supporting this system and infrastructure designed to enhance the health status of some 3.3 million people in NW Congo. Village based programs installing clean water sources and community mobilization seeks to empower villagers toward greater health awareness and better health practices. Economic growth remains a crucial area of partnership because of obstacles our partners face due to extreme poverty. Focusing on relational capacity building, we contribute to the development of projects, individuals, and organizations committed to sustaining growth.

Decades of neglect have made roads and bridges more barriers of transportation and in some cases impassable as only logs exist. Commercial transportation of goods has slowed, health care access has suffered, and people have been injured or died from some current bridge structures. PCMP and two other partners have focused on bridge repair/creation with the agreement of the Min. of Transportation. A basic design with predominantly local materials is utilized to replace dangerous bridges to allow any size commercial vehicle to pass safely. This is a program that utilizes the skills of national partners to create sustainable bridges for remote areas and repairs bridges on National Highway routes as well.