By Sonita Ngunyi Nwohtazie
DSCHANG, March 22, 2023 – The Lebang Cultural and Development Organization, LECUDO-USA and her partners have assisted over 2000 people from the Lebialem Division, South West Region who fled to different parts of the country because of the ongoing crisis.
The three-day medical campaign in partnership with Healing Beyond the Horizon, Life-Bridge International, Fiangep Polyclinic Dschang and Mary Health of Africa Hospital, Fontem began on March 20 and concludes on March 23 in Dschang.
The second phase of the campaign at the Fiangep Polyclinic in Dschang, saw more than 1500 people receive surgery, general consultations, HIV/AIDS medications for free and other medical services.
“This medical mission is the second medical mission that we have carried out since I became CEO in 2020. Once I became the CEO, I set a vision for the organization and I had four pillars to be able to help our people which were Health, Education, Cultural preservation and Community development, which includes roads and all of that,” Atem Terence, CEO of LECUDO-USA said.
This gesture has not gone unnoticed with the population asking for more medical interventions from the team. “I don’t know how to start expressing myself seeing my 7-year-old boy operated for hyena free from the LECUDO-USA is an exceptional gesture. I am so delighted that our sons and daughters have brightened up our faces with large smiles,” Nkemkafu Miranda Patience, a mother recounts her situation as tears run down her cheeks.
“If I don’t say that I am grateful for this campaign then I am an ingrate. I thank LECUDO-USA for thinking about us this far. Just after receiving my health solutions, I feel light and strong which was not the case when I came here. I thank our children for coming because, I especially, have benefited a lot from this good quality health campaign and I will never forget this gesture,” said Nkemnyi Helen Nkafu, a beneficiary.
Partnership driving the health campaign
LECUDO-USA continues to leverage its expertise and relies on partners such as Healing Beyond the Horizon, Life-Bridge International, Fiangep Polyclinic Dschang and Mary Health of Africa Hospital, Fontem, to get maximum coverage.
“We believe in partnership, that you cannot do it all alone. When we formed that partnership, it is so that we can better deliver those services. The leadership of LECUDO-USA is dynamic and I think with their leadership skills, it allowed us to be able to work with them and provide these services,” Richard Nkweta, Founder/CEO of Life-Bridge International added.
“When we come home and see people who lack the basic healthcare needs, it is painful. When we come and do what we are doing here, the people are excited, I think I am fulfilled. My message to the population is that every individual needs to be able to take care of their health, by excising, eating right and getting enough rest. And also, not to engage in risky behaviours like taking drugs and drinking responsibly.”
LECUDO-USA and its partners have promised to continue supporting their population by providing free healthcare services. “The beauty of our program is that, after three days, we can triage patients and use a criterion that we’ve said to then move patients who have the most chronic conditions into a 90-day program which we call the 90 days chronic disease management and monitoring program,” Atem Terrence added.
“The 90 days program specifically is funded by Healing Beyond the Horizon and during the 90 days, they receive all their medications free. In those 90 days, we also hire nurses and a doctor to manage the program.”
A need for a medical doctor in Lebialem
The campaign began in Menji, the chief town of the Lebialem division at Mary Health of Africa hospital with over 1000 people consulted from March 17 to 19 2023. According to the Medical team from Menji, it was a work well done as the population came out in their numbers.
“The crowd of people who came out from their various places, where they are located, made us understand there is a need for a medical doctor in Lebialem. The health personnel can pursue the situation of the people who are sick. We consulted at least 1000 people who for about five years had not seen a doctor,” said Dr Michelle Mukendi.
“So, it was something marvelous for them to see a doctor coming back. Especially one of their doctors who were with them for about six years, coming again to consult them, to give them that courage to continue leaving in the division.”
With the socio-political unrest in the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon, the health system in Lebialem has almost completely crumbled. “One of the biggest problems we faced during our campaign was the lack of materials in the hospital because for more than five years, the materials had not been used and many of them were already bad. If we want to extensively use this hospital, we need to equip it with the material but we tried our best, with what we brought down,” he emphasized.
More than fifteen major and minor surgeries conducted
The medical mission recorded several success stories in the surgical ward as more than fifteen major and minor surgeries were carried out on the population. “With over ten health care units like eye care, lab, HIV and AIDS units among others, we have recorded a lot of successes especially as the turnout of the population was more than the number we were expecting. We recorded more than fifteen cases of both minor and major surgeries,” said Dr Asonganyi Etienne, Coordinator of the LECUDO Dschang health campaign.
“I equally want to call on the rest of the Lebialem community to join the train and use this great opportunity provided by LECUDO-USA and its partners to stay healthy,” he concluded.
It should be noted that LECUDO-USA was created in 1994 and is dedicated to promoting the social, cultural and educational and developmental well-being of the Lebang dynasty in the Diaspora. LECUDO, can however, trace its creation back to 1982, which had as its mission, the development and improvement of the Lebang people and Fondom in Cameroon.
