Holistic care
One Stop Centers: holistic care in one location
A One Stop Center (OSC) is a dedicated system designed to provide survivors of sexual violence with all four pillars of holistic care in one location. By offering medical, psychosocial, legal, and socioeconomic support under one roof—or through a single entry point—the OSC eliminates the need for survivors to travel between multiple facilities to access the comprehensive services they need.
Our approach simplifies access and reduces the risk of stigmatization, as survivors can receive comprehensive support discreetly and efficiently.
Panzi Hospital and Foundation operate four OSCs in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): Panzi Hospital, Mulamba Hospital, Bulenga Hospital, and the Panzi Clinic in Kinshasa. These OSCs are often integrated into existing healthcare structures, making it easier for survivors to seek help without drawing unwanted attention. In addition to these core locations, Panzi supports dozens of OSCs across the DRC, expanding the reach and availability of their holistic model of care.
Panzi Hospital – Bukavu
Panzi Hospital, founded in 1999 by Dr. Denis Mukwege, was initially established as a center of excellence for maternal health but shifted its focus to caring for survivors of sexual violence during the Second Congo War, when rape with extreme brutality became a commonly-used weapon of war.
Located in the Ibanda health zone of Bukavu, Panzi Hospital now serves as the original One Stop Center, offering a comprehensive range of services to survivors. With 468 beds and a staff of over 400, Panzi Hospital also serves as the general reference hospital for approximately 400,000 people in Bukavu, and operates mobile clinics that provide essential healthcare to remote villages in the South Kivu Province.
Mulamba Hospital – Walungu
Mulamba Hospital, located 70 km west of Bukavu in the rural health zone of Walungu, was founded by Dr. Mukwege in 2011. The hospital, with a 108-bed capacity, offers the same four-pillar holistic care model, as well as general healthcare services. Mulamba Hospital also runs a mobile clinic to ensure that those in rural and hard-to-reach areas have access to essential healthcare.
Bulenga Hospital – Minova
Bulenga Hospital was established in 2015 in the Minova health zone, north of Bukavu. With 45 beds, this hospital serves approximately 40,489 people in the region, providing specialized care for survivors of sexual violence alongside general healthcare services. Like the other OSCs, Bulenga Hospital also operates mobile clinics to extend its services to more isolated communities.
Panzi Clinic – Kinshasa
Opened in 2022, the Panzi Clinic in Kinshasa brings the Panzi Model of holistic care to the capital. The clinic provides vital psychosocial services to survivors, further expanding Panzi’s reach beyond the eastern DRC.
Partner One Stop Centers
In addition to operating its four core OSCs, Panzi Foundation supports dozens of partner OSCs across the DRC. These centers adopt Panzi’s holistic care model, working within their communities to provide survivors with the essential services they need. This network of partner centers plays a crucial role in ensuring that more survivors across the country can access life-changing care, regardless of their location.
By integrating the One Stop Center model into existing healthcare systems and extending services to rural areas through mobile clinics, Panzi Hospital and Foundation is helping transform the landscape of care for survivors of sexual violence in the DRC.
Mukwege Foundation
In 2016, the Mukwege Foundation was established to bring Panzi’s world-renowned holistic model of care to conflict zones across the globe. Since its inception, the Foundation has expanded Panzi’s transformative impact to regions such as the Central African Republic, Ukraine, Guinea, and soon Burundi, addressing the urgent needs of survivors in these challenging contexts. Working in close partnership, the Panzi Foundation and the Mukwege Foundation advance Dr. Denis Mukwege’s vision of healing and justice. With Panzi’s expertise rooted in the lived experience and knowledge of Congolese professionals, this South-South cooperation ensures that solutions are not only survivor-centered but also culturally informed and adaptable.
Together, the two foundations bring hope and resilience to survivors, both in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in conflict-affected communities worldwide.
Our Holistic Model
Rape is heavily stigmatized in DRC, and Dr. Mukwege quickly realized that medical treatment was not enough to help survivors rebuild their lives. He and his staff at Panzi developed an innovative holistic healing model that combined medical treatment with therapy, legal services, and job-skills training. Survivors receive all four pillars of care in one location, which mitigates their trauma by ensuring that they only have to tell their story once and do not have to travel to multiple hospitals, agencies, or organizations to get the comprehensive care they need.
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