The Countess of Wessex receives tour of innovative hospital from Nobel laureate founder

The Countess of Wessex is on a visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) at the request the British Foreign Office. During this tour, she visited the Panzi Hospital. 

The innovative centre takes on a holistic approach, combining different types of medicine, to the treatment of victims of sexual violence. Together with the medical support, the hospital also offers services to help victims reintegrate into society and legal aid to bring their abusers to justice. 

The Panzi Hospital was founded in 1998 by Dr Denis Mukwege, a Congolese pastor and activist. For his initiative, in 2014 he received the Sakharov Prize for the freedom of thought from the European Union and, in 2018, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. 

The Countess of Wessex received a warm welcome from Dr Mukwege and his staff as she arrived at the hospital, before receiving a tour of a few of the structure’s wards. 

Firstly, she visited the post-op ward, where she met with people recovering from surgery performed to repair physical damage done by sexual violence, and with mothers who just delivered babies conceived during a physical assault. 

The Countess spoke with care staff, who told her about the care they give their patients, always keeping in mind the holistic approach that the facility is renowned for. 

She then moved to the textile workshop area, where women are given skills that will help them reintegrate into society whenever they feel ready. Her Royal Highness was helped by one of the survivors to stitch two pieces of fabric together with the help of a sewing machine, and she and her mentor were pictured laughing and smiling when things seemingly didn’t go according to plan. The final result was a beautiful piece of traditional fabric, that the Countess proudly showed to the cameras. 

Once the visit finalised, she moved to the City of Joy, a place for women who survived sexual violence during conflict to receive long term assistance in dealing with their trauma and gaining the necessary tools and skills to thrive in society. 

This is the first trip from a member of the British Royal Family to the DRC, and it made sense that it came from the Countess of Wessex, since she has been long engaged in ending sexual violence in conflict zones, and that is a prominent issue in a country that has seen internal conflict since its independence in 1960.