Healthcare system.

1. Alleviating ranger danger
The Problem
National Parc de Lomami, home to some of
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)’s greatest
biodiversity, is the country’s newest national
park, having been officially designated status in
2016. Animals within the park face a severe
poaching threat despite efforts to increase
security and provide educational and
employment systems to discourage it. Poaching
is often run by criminal gangs with records of
rape, murder, pillaging, and arson. Rangers face
conflict daily as they work to sustain park
integrity and protect animal populations.
Lomami has no pre-­‐hospital emergency
healthcare system or infrastructure at this time.
The healthcare infrastructure in all of DRC has
almost completely collapsed due to constant
conflict, continued security problems, and lack of
healthcare investment. Rangers suffer medical
problems and traumatic injuries with high illness and mortality rates.
Incidental reports suggest that many of the problems and injuries could have been at least
partly been mitigated in the field, including unmanaged hemorrhage, lack of attention to
potential spinal injuries, and poor wound management. Lack of healthcare infrastructure also
holds the local population in poverty and back from developing viable economies. At this time,
there are no known educational efforts towards improving emergency and trauma care with
rangers, nursing staff, local physicians, or community members in the nearby region.
The Solution
We have designed a unique course for this conflict ridden low-­‐resource setting with the goal
of improving medical care, alleviating suffering, and improving health outcomes.
Methodology
Our project consisted of 5 phases:

2. 1. A comprehensive survey of ranger injuries, medical problems and preventable
death
2. A situational survey of healthcare facilities in the local district and province to
ascertain location in respect to the park and healthcare provider’s level of training,
surgical capability, and supply situation
3. The development of a comprehensive plan for park administration to properly
triage to appropriate facilities when medical conditions or injuries require
4. The actual ranger medic course
5. A follow up review to continuously follow cases and outcomes providing feedback
for future courses
Next Steps
InnovationsCZ intends to work in conjunction with Lomami’s Park and Medical Director, HEAL
Africa, and Care Under Fire and in partnership with local health clinics and hospitals. We intend
to create a comprehensive ranger medic program to:
• train a cohort of ranger medics in the course we have designed,
• create a continuing educational system which will be embedded in the park and
local communities to offer education with infrastructure to keep the program
sustainable, and
• work to create the first 2 objectives into a model system which we can then offer
to other communities.
Learn how to get involved here.