Bamenda Reg. hospital director reveals gunshot deaths and injury cases rising

By Nange Mbehni

Dr. Denise Nsame, Director of the Bamenda Regional Hospital (BRH) has made public disturbing statistics of deaths and injuries acquired from gunshots in the conflict-plagued Northwest region.

Speaking on Sunday, November 13, 2022, to state media, CRTV’s flagship program, Cameroon Calling the director said “Within this crisis, we have received for the past nine months 135 cases of gunshots and we have also received at the mortuary, 72 cases of deaths from gunshots.”

The statistics are worrisome to health personnel in the region caught between the warring factions – often regarded by one or the other factions as working in favor or against.

A situation Dr. Nsame says they do their best, in their practice, to respect human rights and treat everyone, in need of medical.

Apart from treating wounded patients, hospitals in the Anglophone regions have suffered attacks from both sides of the conflict. While others are temporarily shut down, some are being visited by furious belligerents to intimidate, kidnap, arrest or torture health workers.

The Baptist hospital in Kumbo is one of the hospitals that has suffered the highest intimidation from both sides.

Recently, nine workers were kidnapped by separatists from the WUmbo health district in Batibo, North West region.

Such cases abound, and in most cruel instances, it has led to the death of many health workers.