Health: Yaounde central hospital death toll gets to 6.9% in 2021

In 2021, the public hospital had a total of 170.000 patients received, about 16.000 emergencies, 4300 surgeries and 7000 gynaecological interventions were performed. Rejoicing over the growing trust between the population and medical staff, Pierre Joseph Fouda, director of the facility however expressed worries over deaths – 2.201 people died last year only:

“This could be blamed on some patients who come in at the last minute with severe complications. Nonetheless, we equally recorded a 5.9% death rate in 2020 due to the Covid19 pandemic.”

The death rate is on a decline compared to the 12% recorded back in 2012. Despite efforts made by the administration to improve on care given to patients, the Yaounde central hospital is still on the spotlight and most often for the wrong reasons.

In 2021 for example, a 22-year-old man, Hillaire Ayissi, was rushed to the emergency ward of the facility but later died with the family affirming that their relative’s organs had been harvested. Investigations carried out by the ministry of public health had it that no organs were taken but the family and some sympathizers say influence peddling had something to do with this conclusion.

With death toll on the decrease at the facility, hopes are high that the quality of services rendered there will also be ameliorated.