Health Care facilities

The internet connection has been intermittent and there is so much to add to update the blog. So many things going on in a day to day way that I asked myself what I can sum up …so a number of things come to mind and the first will be Health Care facilities.
During our in region training we went to the Mezam polyclinic set up by Dr Achu. Dr Achu provided us with our VSO in region health care advice. The clinic on first impressions was smaller but not dissimilar to the one I went to in Yaoundé for my third rabies vaccination. There is the polyclinic downstairs and some wards upstairs. The top floor is occupied by a NGO wiht5 VSO volunteers that manages a Community Programme for Aids Awareness and Action. The visit provided an opportunity to talk to Dr Achu about the clinic, which he had built after working in Saudi Arabia for 2 years. It provides general health care services, TB clinic and is an authorised centre for HIV/AIDs screening and treatment. I plan to attend a session that is being held there at the end of this week on HIV in the workplace. One of the things I need to consider when reviewing Community Based Organizational Development is programmes for HIV/AIDS, and Malaria.

Bamenda Provincial Hospital
Another opportunity to explore and have a better understanding of what is available for health care was provided one quiet morning. We walked down to the Bamenda Provincial Hospital and training school. First stop was the school for nursing assistants, a big building set back in some grounds near a school. No one was around, all the doors to the offices upstairs and class rooms down stairs were locked. However the notice board indicated that all the students were out on their placements. So to the hospital. We found the entrance for emergency Midwifery, waved my VSO ID card to the security card, explained who we were and without being asked for any further ID he called one of the nurses who took us to the Director of Nursing Office. It was interesting to see that the ward sisters had come for a meeting and had the off duty rotas in their hand. After completing a form requesting a visit to the hospital the Directors’ PA showed us around. It was both interesting and very humbling when considering the demands and the resources available. They provide comprehensive services that include outpatients, Emergency Care, Path lab services and a pharmacy. Again patients pay for their drugs before collecting them. The outpatients department also provide care HIV, TB patients, TB treatment is free; Palliative care although the only pain relief provided is oromorph, opiates not otherwise available. There are also medicine, surgery and midwifery wards. They have three theatres and a recovery /HDU of six beds. The specialist equipment is a suction machine. The X-ray department has one machine and one mobile machine, the ultrasound machine located somewhere else no longer works. l noticed that the technicians do not have the Xray tags to measure their exposure, the supply ran out some time ago. They are as careful as they can be standing behind a screen. The equipment in the maternity unit is limited and very basic. The head midwife, a man has worked there for many years was helpful and felt it was a great privilege to be a midwife. The information board showed they had about 2, 500 births a year, also the HIV incidence reported nationally as 5% is 9% here; but it is a selected population.
Visiting the medical and surgical wards was again humbling. Most of the beds were occupied and many patients had drips. Again the beds were simple iron beds, like in boarding schools of old and families bought in their food. The hospital does cook for patients who have come in from out of town and who have no one to prepare food for them. My impression was that there seemed to be quite a few nurses and student nurses (nursing assistants), often congregated in the nurse’s station / office area. Occasionally one would be in a ward discussing something with a family or in the surgical ward busy with a patient.
Finally we walked past the mortuary, the laundry facilities and mental health ward before going on to the ophthalmic department. Here the doctor was seeing a patient and had one piece of equipment to work with. We were introduced, chatted and then before leaving shook hands before being told that he was a Fon to be! At least he put his hand out first. It is not customary to shake hands with a Fon, tradition is to clap you own hands and sort of bow … but the context was different. And perhaps it is ok to shake hands with a Fon to be!
Before leaving we met and thanked the Director of Nursing, discussed what it cost to fund the tuition fees for training for a registered nurse. £300 for 3 years for general nurse, £500 a year for 4 years for a graduate nurse. Is there something we can do to help?

I am an advocate for the NHS, despite its flaws, visiting the hspital and the other clinics confirms my belief that we are fortunate. Next blog is more about health care and meeting local needs...