Luanda: Health Minister Slvia Lutucuta praised the legacy of Neves Bendinha Hospital professionals in treating burn victims in Angola over the course of more than three decades during an event in Luanda on Sunday.
According to Angola Press News Agency, the tribute took place at the opening of the National Seminar on Burn Patient Care, held as part of the preparations for the opening of the new Burn Hospital in the municipality of Kilamba. The minister recalled that the need to create a specialized service for burn victims arose in 1993; a former refugee reception center was transformed into Neves Bendinha Hospital, which went on to become the country's primary reference center for this specialty.
The minister highlighted that the unit's professionals built a wealth of knowledge and experience that saved thousands of lives and laid the foundation for specialized burn care in Angola. She also noted that during a 2018 visit by President Joo Louren§o, the hospital's facilities were found to be in a state of severe disrepair, prompting the decision to rehabilitate the unit with funding from the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Petroleum and Gas, sourced from oil bonuses.
During the renovation period, specialized services were maintained at Zango 2 Hospital, known as "Casa Amarela", ensuring continuity of care. Neves Bendinha Hospital was reopened in October 2023, although it continues to face high demand and technological challenges. The minister stated that the Presidente Jºlio Nyerere Burn Hospital represents a new stage in the provision of specialized care, yet it is the result of the groundwork laid by the teams at Neves Bendinha.
For Slvia Lutucuta, the public recognition accorded to the professionals at Neves Bendinha Hospital serves as a tribute to the commitment demonstrated over decades and acts as an incentive for new generations of doctors, nurses, and technicians to continue raising the quality of care for burn patients in Angola. Meanwhile, M´nica Taminato, a professor at the Paulista School of Nursing at the Federal University of So Paulo (UNIFESP), stated that the new hospital unit combines state-of-the-art infrastructure with a commitment to specialized training and the implementation of international protocols for infection prevention and control.
The specialist, who coordinates the nursing specialization course in infectious diseases, developed through a partnership between the Ministries of Health of Angola and Brazil, advocated for the standardization of safety protocols and the strengthening of hand hygiene and infection prevention measures regarding invasive devices, which are frequently used in treating burn patients. She noted that the quality of care also depends on factors such as water quality, environmental cleanliness, and the safety of healthcare professionals, elements that contribute to more effective patient recovery.
The professor also reported that the specialization program, which began in March 2025, lasts 24 months and aims to train 210 Angolan nurses in infectious disease care. Through its renovation and expansion, the Neves Specialized Hospital gained an area of 1,500 square meters, 93 new beds, three laboratories, an ICU, and telemedicine facilities. The new Burn Hospital, in turn, will feature 252 beds within a six-story building that includes operating suites with six surgical rooms.
