Retired NBA Star Dikembe Mutombo Adds Facilities To His Hospital In The Congo
By
Randall Stevens ♦ Published 09/03/2009
He may have made million playing in the NBA for 18 years, but that doesn't mean Dikembe Mutombo hasn't forgotten where he came from.
In fact, he's been giving to his to his native Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since 1997 when he launched his Dikembe Mutombo Foundation.
According to Athlebrities.com, the retired NBA star has added two centers to his Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital and Research Center in the Congo.
"The doctors and nurses at the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital are saving lives every day and helping improve health care in the DRC, which has been ravaged by more than a decade of war and disease," Mutombo said at the opening ceremony. "These centers of excellence are an important milestone in improving the quality of life for those who live with HIV/AIDS and in training new health care workers to help prevent the spread of disease."
The two centers -- an Immune System Monitoring Laboratory and an Occupational Safety Center for Health Workers -- will train more than 300 clinicians and improve monitoring and treatment of patients living with HIV/AIDS, said the report.
The $29 million facility opened in 2007 and sits on 12 acres of land. It was the first modern medical facility to be built in that area in nearly 40 years.
He may have made million playing in the NBA for 18 years, but that doesn't mean Dikembe Mutombo hasn't forgotten where he came from.
