A chance to do good.(My Turn)

It is no longer a dream. The Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital--my gift to my country--is now under construction. When the facility is completed, my home city of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo will have its first modern hospital in more than 40 years, with 300 beds and state-of-the-art facilities.

On September 10, 2001, one day before the tragic terrorist attacks in the United States, I arrived in the Congo, along with members of my foundation, for the official groundbreaking ceremony on the hospital, which took place September 15. What was supposed to be a celebratory time turned solemn for us in the Congo, not knowing the extent of what was occurring in the U.S.

My vision in the Congo was documented just months prior to September 11 when the SPORTING NEWS named me its No. 1 Good Guy. Now, the $29 million hospital, named in memory of my dear mother--who died when she was unable to seek medical attention because of a war-time curfew--is literally taking shape. My people in the Congo will have the opportunity to live healthy, productive lives and avoid the risk of serious, infectious diseases.

Like many developing countries in Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is in desperate need of new medical facilities, equipment, affordable health centers and doctors. Incredibly, only 2,000 doctors work in my country of 50 million people. The Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital will have the ability to train more doctors and medical personnel.

Most recently, my foundation shipped two ambulances to Kinshasa, bringing the total number of ambulances in the capital city to three. During my upbringing, I can't remember the sound of an ambulance siren. Although my homeland is rich in the tradition of music and arts, numerous fatal diseases, extreme poverty and civil unrest have afflicted most of our citizens. So many people are sick with malaria and tuberculosis that the health care system is overwhelmed.

However, in 1999, through the joint effort of the United Nations and Congolese Ministry of Health, 8.2 million children under 5 years old were vaccinated against polio. I have assisted in the polio eradication campaign by recording several public service announcements ...