Medische Zending Primary Health Care Suriname, commonly known as Medische Zending (Dutch for "medical mission") or MZ is a Surinamese charitable organization offering primary healthcare to remote villages in the interior of Suriname.

Medische Zending
HeadquartersParamaribo
Chairperson
C.N. Rozenblad
Managing director
E.D. van Eer
Websitemedischezending.sr

History

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The history of Medische Zending began on 3 October 1740 with J. Franz Reynier. Reynier, a medical doctor and missionary, and his wife came to Suriname on behalf of the Moravian Church. The purpose was not just to be a missionary, but also to provide medical health care including operations. [1]

Medische Zending was established in 1765 when Ludwig Christiaan Dehne, Rudolf Stoll, and Thomas Jones established a base near the Suriname River which became the first clinic. [2] The evangelism efforts started to decline with the British seizing of the Dutch colonies during the Napoleonic Wars and ended in 1808,[3] however the first hospital remained operational until 1817.[1] It wasn't until 1919 when a outpatient clinic was founded at Botopasi.[1]

On 2 Januari 1974, the foundation Medizebs was established to continue the work of the Church and to transfer Medische Zending to the Ministry of Health. [2]

Healthcare centres

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Medische Zending operates 52 primary healthcare centres in the Surinamese interior:[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Historie". Medische Zending.sr (in Dutch). Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  2. ^ a b C.F.A. Bruining en J. Voorhoeve, 'Encyclopedie van Suriname' – 'Geneeskunde – Medische zending en missie', pag. 212-213, Elsevier, Amsterdam – Brussel, pag. 216-217, ISBN 9010018423, 1977
  3. ^ "Encyclopaedie van Nederlandsch West-Indië - Page 179 - Broedergemeente" (PDF). Digital Library for Dutch Literature (in Dutch). 1916. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  4. ^ Map of MZ healthcare centres
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