HEALTH AND HEALTHCARE REPORT OF MBENGWI DISTRICT OF CAMEROON
George Awazi‚ Esq – November 2014
I just returned from Cameroon to review progress since I last visited the region in 2011. It seems more is needed today for the supplies donated to health Centers have all been used on patients. Most of the equipment are no longer working. I reviewed the logs to ensure accountability‚ including patient load and other statistics. I also reviewed reports from the Executive of Path System‚ Inc (www.pathsystem.org)‚ our ground operations nonprofit Organization in Cameroon. This report has been filed as a requirement of Microhealth Global Consulting‚ Inc. to ensure transparency and accountability of projects we initiate worldwide.
In 2014‚ the situation has gotten from bad to worst because there are more and more communicable and other diseases and illnesses cropping up in the Rural Communities and the children and aging population in particular in those communities cannot afford amenities such as transportation to go to distant or out of Village Hospitals. Our reference hospital‚ Presbyterian General Hospital Acha Tugi is rationing medications and in need of supplies and equipment as well.
What is disturbing is the fact that Urban Migration is leaving Nursing Mothers and their babies‚ younger children affected by children illnesses‚ which are very rampant in rural communities. The aging population is very vulnerable because most of them don’t have access to affordable and quality health care. So lack of resources‚ including equipped Health Posts in the host villages creates a sub-standard living condition exacerbating the health and healthcare conditions.
In one of the attached pictures‚ the Chief of Post of the Njah Etu Integrated Health Post is showing a handful of Scissors and faucets as all the Medical Equipment the Health Center has‚ a Sterilizer Container that has been empty for more than 7 months and a mini old fashioned kerosene stove used to boil water for basic sterilizing of scissors and faucets. These images are unquestionably disturbing to people who have seen better situations in other places and who are aware that there is potential help that can come to the locals from well structured Health Care systems abroad.
To the Villagers‚ it is very frustrating and hopeless to have empty Health Care Centers with no Staff nor Medication and diagnostic tools‚ and not knowing faith. It is surviving one day at a time. The lone staff there went on to tell me that within those 7 months and longer‚ he was forced to deliver babies and carry out other ‘duties’ with nothing to sterilize Scissors and faucets efficiently. Most of the children have various diseases from unintended consequences. Still they hold hope for Microhealth Global Consulting. I assured them that help was on the way and that we will not abandon them.
Note that these Health Centers were constructed with contribution from foreign (NPOs/NGOs) like Plan International who donated resources for building the Health Posts but did not make provisions or any plans to equip them. That is why I wrote in the attached write up that the Health Posts in most villages look very neat from the outside but have no Equipment nor Health Experts inside.
Building those Health Posts therefore was PHASE ONE. From an Eyewitness account‚ these locals and their communities need more of affordable or charitable Medication‚ Medical diagnostic Equipment and Staff to make life worth living in those village communities.
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PHASE TWO requires a dedication and commitment to attracting / bringing medical equipment and Health Care Volunteers to these Health Posts. The Chief or Post at the Njah Etu Integrated Health Post showed me an almost completed Guest House that can host a number of Volunteers. Post supposed to be providing basic Health Care to more than 6 villages with 20‚000’+ inhabitants‚ the Bome and even the Bosa Health Post. The Kob Health post and most notably the Acha Hospital are no different regarding these deficiencies. All the Health Posts greatly need basic diagnostic and working Equipment and all the locals living in these communities are willing and ready to welcome Healthcare Volunteers to work in their communities for as long as their time and program permits. Our conversation with the Medical Officer for the Mbengwi Hospital leaves us with the impression that there is still much work to be done to bring basic needs of the Health Care situation in Mbengwi to an acceptable standard; given that more and more help in this millennium comes from the private sector through the efforts of NPOs and NGOs; especially in situations where the government is not delivering as expected.
George Awazi Esq.
Operations Manager.
Microhealth Global Consulting
www.mh-gc.org