Health officials brainstorm on digital payments in hospitals

Going by a recent study handed to the minister of public health in Cameroon, F CFA700 billion is lost each year as a result of physical cash payment in public hospitals.

Over the years, acts of corruption have been reported in public hospitals with the most recent being the Ngaoundere regional hospital where 4 cashiers and an IT expert have been detained for stealing about F CFA17 billion after falsifying receipts and other documents.

Following such unscrupulous acts, health experts met in Yaounde to brainstorm on how to make all payments digital. This new mode of payment has been implimented at the Mvog-Ada district hospital in Yaounde V with the payment of medical certificates, mortuary and consultation fees completely digitalized.
This has already become controversial with users saying the hospital staff permanently complain of poor interet connection making them stand in queues for long periods of time.

Meantime, health officials are strategizing on making this mode of payment effective across the national territory.