By Boris Esono Nwenfor
LEBIALEM, Cameroon – It’s early Wednesday morning at the Mary Health of Africa Hospital and patients are already queuing to be among the first persons to see the team of specialist doctors who have come to carry out medical consultations.
“The crisis ongoing for the last seven years forced us to stay in the forest. We did not know that we could ever come and consult like we are doing now,” Leke Joseph, a patient tells Pan African Visions shortly after being one of the first persons to see the specialized doctors.
“I have been living on local drugs, cutting herbs in the forests and using. We heard that a group is coming to Mary Health of Africa to carry out a consultation. I, like many others, came out from the bush to benefit from this campaign because it is a big advantage to us.”
The free Medical Mission/Health Campaign is the third of its kind and is organized by the Focolare Movement/Mary Health of Africa Hospital Fontem supported by LECUDO-USA and carried out in Fontem and Fonjumetaw, in Lebialem Division of the South West Region of Cameroon.
Leke Joseph added: “I wasn’t too sick but I am happy to come and check my body for other ailments. The main problem that brought me here is back pain. I am happy that I have benefited from the free medical mission because we have suffered for a long time. We appreciate the organizers of this health campaign.”
I heard of the exploits of the campaign last year and that is what brought me this year,” Ghilung Paul, another patient tells Pan African Visions. “I am overwhelmed with the care I received. I consulted and was prescribed drugs, all of which were for free. I have been ill for some 3 months now and it is my first time attending this health campaign.”
A badly needed health campaign
The Medical Mission/Health Campaign is being done in partnership with Healing Beyond the Horizon USA, Life Bridge International USA, NWACUDO-USA, Clinique Saint-Constant, Purpose Medical Mission USA, NTECKA LAB, Menji Credit Union, Cameroon Oncology (Cancer) Center, CRID USA/Kambaii Health.
Eric Njinkeng, Organizing Partner and Mary Health of Africa Hospital Manager & Health Campaign Site Coordinator said: “This health campaign started three years ago, it is not only for the local hospital but also for the population. During this period of the crisis, people are suffering because of the lack of medical personnel. LECUDO USA thought it wise to start this initiative of a health campaign which is like a big outreach to many people. It has been very beneficial to the population. Last year, many of them benefited from surgeries; that is why this year we did a lot of sensitization.
This is day one of the campaign and the population here is very big. We decided to share the population according to communities. The first day has several communities that are supposed to be present to avoid congestion. Even with this schedule, the turnout has been massive.
The difference between last year and this year is that many volunteers have come in this time and it is making the work lighter and good for the patients. Communities present on day one are those that are closer to the health facility such as Nveh, Nchenfem, Menji and Foka.”
Hypertension/diabetes rife
Hypertension and diabetes are chronic non-communicable diseases ranked among the leading causes of mobility and mortality in resource-limited areas. Hypertension and diabetes generally coexist in the population in terms of sharing common risk factors. In 2022, the estimated prevalence of hypertension and diabetes was 32.1 per cent and 5.8 per cent respectively across the country.
Rough statistics following day one of the Medical Mission/Health Campaign in Fontem show that hypertension and diabetes are prevalent. Dr Vera Fontem, one of the Lead Medical Doctors of the campaign and a gynaecologist said: “We were not expecting the number we saw; we got a maximum number and people came from everywhere and it was not possible to control by villages.”
“I think this was a nice decision to say a lot of people should come to Fontem, because of the population we met here, we would not expect that this population was in Fontem. The population was great.
Dr Vera Fontem added: “We have seen a couple of patients with suspicion of cancer that we have decided to send to the cancer centre and Dschang for further examination. We have also noticed a lot of aspects of pain; back pain and neck pain. We saw hypertensive patients; some were newly diagnosed and others were already on drugs with a lot of defaulters. When we asked about defaulting issues, it was all about finances.”
“We have this 90-day follow-up for those chronic cases patients with diabetes cases. There are a lot in the village; we didn’t expect that number of people but you see a lot of people with hypertension and diabetes.”
