Central Hospitals Capacity Response Improvement Project (PMCRHC) was a medical training program in Angola, carried out between 2007 and 2009, with the objective of reducing the number of medical evacuations abroad through the specialized training of Angolan physicians in the main central hospitals of Luanda. The program was part of a broader context of international health cooperation between Brazil and Angola, involving professional training and the introduction of new clinical practices.
Background
Following the end of the Angolan Civil War (1975–2002), Angola’s health system faced significant structural limitations, including a shortage of specialist physicians and a strong concentration of resources in Luanda. Academic studies indicate that some medical areas had a complete absence of specialists, contributing to reliance on international medical evacuations.
In this context, international cooperation initiatives, particularly with Brazil, began to play a relevant role in the training of human resources and the strengthening of healthcare capacity.
Organization
The program was developed by the Ministry of Health of Angola (MINSA) and implemented by the healthcare consulting company GESA Health (Gestão Lda), in partnership with Brazilian institutions such as the Faculdade de Medicina do ABC and the Hospital das Clínicas of the University of São Paulo Medical School.
Project coordination was assigned to Fábio Luiz Vieira through GESA Health (declaration, Luanda, 22 April 2008), succeeding Dr. Antonio Carlos Madeira de Arruda, with support from Romy Giovanazzi as assistant coordinator.
Objectives
The main objective of PMCRHC was to increase the capacity and effectiveness of Angola’s central hospitals, aiming to reduce the need for patient evacuation abroad. Strategies included:
- In-service training of physicians;
- Introduction of new diagnostic and therapeutic techniques;
- Support for hospital service organization.
Methodology
The program was based on an in-service training model, involving the direct participation of Brazilian specialists in clinical and surgical activities within Angolan hospitals. This model was used as a strategy for knowledge transfer and local team capacity building.
Similar cooperation initiatives, including the deployment of Brazilian medical teams to Angola, were carried out from 2007 onwards by institutions such as the Faculdade de Medicina do ABC, particularly in fields such as Orthopedics and Traumatology.
Results
Contemporary reports indicate that the program enabled procedures previously unavailable in public hospitals in Angola, as well as the introduction of new clinical and surgical practices, contributing to improved hospital response capacity.
Invited lecture at the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP)
In March 2009, Dr. Fabio Luiz Vieira was invited by Prof. Dr. Rubens Belfort Jr., Professor of Ophthalmology at the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP) and President of the Vision Institute (IPEPO), to deliver a postgraduate lecture entitled “National Hospitals Improvement Project in Angola: The Brazilian Cooperation Experience.”
The invitation recognized his role in coordinating the Central Hospitals Capacity Response Improvement Project in Angola and provided an opportunity to present the programme’s implementation, management strategies, and outcomes to postgraduate students and faculty members.
Prof. Belfort Jr., who coordinated the ophthalmology component of the Brazilian cooperation initiative in Angola, hosted the lecture as part of the postgraduate activities of the Vision Institute and the Department of Ophthalmology at UNIFESP. The lecture was formally certified by the institution.
Declaration issued by the Instituto da Visão (IPEPO) and the Department of Ophthalmology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, confirming the conference delivered on 9 March 2009 and signed by Prof. Dr. Rubens Belfort Jr.
View the certificate (PDF)
Continuity and Legacy
PMCRHC was part of a broader set of health cooperation initiatives between Brazil and Angola that evolved over subsequent years.
From the late 2000s onward, a transition was observed toward training models based on the specialization of Angolan physicians in Brazilian institutions, including residency programs and long-term training, representing a shift from the initial model centered on the deployment of Brazilian specialists to Angola.
More recent programs significantly expanded this cooperation, with the training of thousands of Angolan professionals and the participation of Brazilian public institutions, consolidating bilateral health partnerships.
External Links
- Refúgio no Caos — Rede Brasil Atual (2013) — press coverage confirming role as Programme Coordinator of the National Hospital Capacity-Building Programme in Angola.
- Wikidata: Central Hospitals Capacity Response Improvement Project (Q138766289)