National Medical council elections soon: will new council do more for health sector?
The elective General assembly of Cameroon National Medical Council has been scheduled for December 29, 2022 at the Yaounde congress hall as mentioned in a November 29 press release from the Ministry of Public Health.
The session that has been convened by Dr. Malachie Manaouda will see almost half a dozen contenders seek to replace Dr. Guy Sandjong who has been at the helm of the board for over 12 years now. Among the candidates are the current General Manager of the Laquintinie hospital in Douala, Professor Noël Emmanuel Essomba, Dr. Rodolphe Fonkoua and Dr. Pierre Bassong, former President of the council.
Ahead of the electoral process, Dr Manaouda Malachie on his Twitter handle on Sunday December 4th, said he will ensure that the election is fair and transparent. This outing, according to the Minister, was in response to a certain public opinion that has been trying to discredit the current electoral process by saying Dr. Malachie has a favorite.
The Cameroon Medical Council (CMC) is an institution which is in charge of regulating the medical profession in Cameroon.
It ensures the respect and strict application of medical ethics (Hippocratic Oath, doctors conditions, patients’ conditions, the technical means required to practice their art, and the respect of administrative laws related to the medical profession).
As an institution under the administrative authority of the Ministry of Public Health, the CMC has jurisdictional and regulatory power over the practice of the medical profession.
It should however be noted that apart from advocating for the closure of over 1000 illegal and clandestine hospitals and training schools all over Cameroon in recent years, the council has remained silent on many aspects and in many areas especially in the crisis hit regions of Cameroon where access to health care remains a huge challenge.
Cameroon still has a limited number of practicing medical doctors, with the World Health Organization estimating the doctor-patient ratio as closer to one doctor per 50,000 inhabitants instead of the recommended one doctor per 10,000 inhabitants in 2020.
There are about 48,000 health care professionals in Cameroon. Out of this figure, 2,000 are medical practitioners, and 700 specialists.
The Cameroon Medical council created in 1957, for the moment, has over 10,000 registered members.
