Dr. Prince Mongu Nzoko
General Surgery Resident
SIM Galmi Hospital
Niger
Dr. Prince Mongu Nzoko’s calling to medicine was shaped by his childhood in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Growing up in Kisangani, he witnessed instability, suffering, and violent conflict as foreign armies fought in his city. These early experiences exposed him to profound human need and drew him toward medicine as a way to serve those whose lives were shaped by circumstances beyond their control.
That calling deepened during his medical internship in 2020 at the Evangelical Hospital of Vanga, a rural hospital serving some of the region’s most underserved communities. There, he encountered a young mother of a one-month-old baby, critically ill with peritonitis. In his experience, this condition was claiming nearly 98% of patients due to the severe lack of surgical resources and trained surgeons. With few options available after an exploratory laparotomy, Dr. Nzoko prayed with her and shared the hope of the gospel. By God’s grace, she survived and was discharged, leaving him with a lasting burden to be better equipped to care for patients like her.
It was during this season that visiting surgeons introduced him to the Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons (PAACS). The program’s design to provide rigorous surgical training alongside intentional spiritual formation confirmed what Dr. Nzoko sensed God had been preparing him for all along.
Today, Dr. Nzoko is a second-year general surgery resident at SIM Galmi Hospital in Niger. Recently, he cared for a 47-year-old man admitted with severe peritonitis. The same condition that once felt nearly untreatable during his internship. This time, the outcome was different. Supported by a skilled PAACS team, the patient required emergency surgery and later faced serious complications, including a high output ostomy and nutritional decline. Throughout this long course, Dr. Nzoko and the PAACS team cared for him medically, emotionally, and spiritually, spending time at his bedside, praying and sharing the gospel even when hope seemed minimal. Months later, he returned stronger and ready for ostomy reversal. After a successful recovery, the team reflected with him on his journey, pointing to God as the giver of life. Having stood in the shadow of death, the patient recognized God’s mercy and placed his faith in Christ. Dr. Nzoko saw firsthand that God was restoring this patient’s life!
Looking ahead, Dr. Nzoko hopes to help close the gap in surgical care for the poor and underserved across Africa while demonstrating God’s love to his patients. He is deeply grateful for those who pray for and support PAACS. Through their partnership, residents like Dr. Nzoko are trained, discipled, and sent to places of greatest need bringing healing, hope, and the message of Christ to communities across the continent.
