Doctors Without Borders Budgets 1.6 Billion CFA For Mamfe, Donates Hospital Equipment
By Nadesh E.
“The entire Mamfe town has been in darkness for close to two months now and if the hospital has no electricity supply, then work becomes impossible because all the medical equipment depend on electricity,” Doctor Tabi John, Director of Mamfe District Hospital, said.
The Emergency Coordinator of Doctors Without Borders, for the South West region, Zakaria Mwatai has revealed that the international humanitarian organization has budgeted the sum of 1.6 billion CFA for one of their Divisions of intervention Mamfe, headquarter of Manyu.
This is in line with one of their project’s objectives in the South West Region since 2018, to improve healthcare services for the population that is seriously being hit by the socio-political crisis.
The revelation was made during one of the organization’s interventions; the installation of a giant generator and other essential equipment at the Mamfe District Hospital, Manyu Division, South West Region of Cameroon. Being the largest Division in the crisis-hit South West and with the many IDPs, wounded, and killed victims of the crisis, the ever-responsive medical organization has set its roots in the division with many activities. Mamfe (Manyu and Kumba are the two main areas of intervention for the organization’s South West Project).
Activities of the DWB have ranged from the ambulance service, the decentralized model of care and support to health facilities all of which the Mamfe population has and are still benefitting from.
During the installation of the 150Kva generator and 35Kva backup generator on Wednesday, September 8, 2021, at the Mamfe District Hospital, the Director of the hospital, Doctor Tabi John Fosong said since his 7years of work at the hospital, the years of the crisis have proven difficult as medical supplies could not be brought to Mamfe and inadequate personnel was a major problem. However, the coming of Doctors Without Borders has increased the number of personnel who are being motivated by DWB, supplies from the organization are constant and free treatments to patients have made work easy and exciting.
The Director also explained work has been very difficult due to constant electricity blackout. “The donation of the generator is very timely. Mamfe has not had electricity for over two months and all medical equipment depends on electricity,” the director added.
How have Doctors Without Borders been intervening in Mamfe?
According to the statistics presented by the South West Emergency Coordinator of DWB and from what this reporter saw during the tour at the clean Mamfe District hospital, the international humanitarian organization has:
- Trained 52 community health workers and equipped them with medication to treat mild illnesses such as malaria, diarrhoea in Mamfe alone. In total, there are 95 staff under incentives in Mamfe as opposed to 70 in Kumba.
- Recently installed a 150Kva Generator plus a 35Kva Backup generator to replace the old one which the hospital has been unable to use.
- Donated a blood bank fridge
- Donated a back up for blood bank (Batteries and incinerator)
- Solar AC for Doctors Without Borders pharmacy
- Mosquito bednets distribution for patients
- Dry lines installation for laundry patients
- Cleaning material
- Biomedical equipment such as oxygen concentrators, patient monitors, suction pumps and syringe pumps.
- Electrical material, mainly voltage stabilizers to protect all medical equipment.
- Installed a water treatment unit to improve the quality of water for patients in the milk room and chlorination before being distributed in the hospital.
These interventions fall under three main pillars of the organization viz; the ambulance service, the decentralized model of care, and support to health facilities that have been earmarked for the Kumba and Mamfe District hospitals in the Southwest Region.
How is the population responding?
Inhabitants of the Mamfe community have expressed gratitude and have confirmed that Doctors Without Borders has taken care of many health situations that would be negative if not for their intervention.
A nursing mom in Egbekaw, Mamfe told CNA that they enjoy donations of free mosquito nets, containers of water, and many more from the organization every month. Confirmations came both from the Mayor of Mamfe council and the Senior Divisional Officer of the good work the organization has been doing in the division, from its 24 hours interventions of the ambulance to the free treatments of patients irrespective of whether they are civilians or military personnel.
However, Mr. Mwatai has pointed out some of the challenges the organization is facing in the exercise of its duty like not being able to have visas for colleagues to come and support, clearing of supplies from the port which slows down activities as a result of a shortage in health supplies.
The administration of Mamfe through the representative of the Senior Divisional Officer has promised to always support the activities of DWB in Mamfe.
