Director of CBC Health Services embarks on First Lap of Visit to Institutions
Less than one month after his induction and installation on July 27, 2024, the Director of Health Services, Mr. Ngum Samuel has set the ball rolling with the first lap of his tour of CBC Health Services institutions. The visit, which effervescence was near total, kicked off in Nkwen Baptist Hospital on August 10 and wrapped up in the Center Regional Zone in Yaounde on August 17, 2024.
Perhaps, the most significant marker of the visit was the fact that for the first time in the history of the CBC Health Services, the Board Chair and Vice accompanied the Director to the field to see for themselves the magnitude of this health machine called, the CBC Health Services. They saw, touched and encouraged the highly motivated staff, they witnessed the multi-faceted services, the sophisticated equipment, the magnificent structures, the clean environment, and the ongoing projects; in a nutshell, they saw everything from chapel to the administrators office through the hospital wards right down to the toilets, all in a bit to guide their decisions at policy level in the Board.
The Health Board Chair and Vice are scientists and university professors who said they are humbled and ready to contribute or pay back to the church what God has endowed them with – knowledge. The Board Chair, Prof. Judith Torimiro is professor of clinical sciences in the Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences of the University of Yaounde 1, Head of Department of Biochemistry of the same University, Director of Chantal Biya Foundation Reference Laboratory, Vice Board Chair of the Baptist Institute of Health Sciences in Mbingo, member of Board of CBTS Ndu, former Vice Chair of CBC Education Board, Sunday School teacher and laureate of several awards. Her Vice, Prof. Helen Kimbi is professor of medical parasitology in the Faculty of Health Science in the University of Bamenda, Vice Dean in-charge of Admission and Records in the Faculty of Health Sciences, Coordinator of Post Graduate program, University of Bamenda, member of the Board of Governors for CBTS Ndu and Baptist School of Public Health, and a chorister in NACOMEC among many other accolades to her credit.
These women of timber and caliber created a window in their very tight schedules to accompany the DHS right down to the field to have first-hand experience that can guide them at the level of the Board. As they put it, “We’re scientists and we believe in evidence”.
In all the stations visited, the DHS’ message was unique, yet he demonstrated much mastery of the specificities of each station, thanks to generated data from the Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (PMEL) platform.
Mr. Ngum drove home his message to the staff in four key areas: system strengthening, stewardship, resilience and innovation. He made it loud and clear that there will be no major expansion in his 5-year mandate but focus will be on strengthening the existing system in place which is good and working. He called on staff to be good stewards and accountable with the resources put at their disposal because there will be little or no mercy if caught misappropriating our limited resources. The DHS called for resilience in the face of challenges and for staff to be careful with social media manipulations. He appealed on the staff to embrace innovations if the CBC Health Services must maintain and improve on quality.
In response to the warm welcome accorded him and his team in all the facilities, the DHS used the moment to address specific issues pertaining to each facility. For instance, he challenged Bafoussam Baptist Hospital and Baptist Hospital Mutengene to work harder to payoff their huge debts with the Drug Revolving Fund. He said all the hospitals visited are doing well with performance rate above 60 percent. Nevertheless, he challenged the hospitals to aim at 80 percent and more.
For the Central Pharmacy, the DHS said it was unacceptable that the outfit which is supposed to be the life wire of CBC Health Services hospitals in terms of drug and medical supplies to be operating at barely 42 percent. The DHS announced plans of a general overhaul to bring back the Central Pharmacy to its feet. The DHS and the Board chairs were marveled to know that the Early Infant Diagnosis (EID) Laboratory, still in the Health Services Complex Mutengene, was a 5-Star Laboratory. Mr. Ngum challenged the Laboratory to open up and strengthen our hospital laboratories because we are a system, a stronger component strengthening the struggling ones.
The DHS used the opportunity to update staff on key projects and activities currently going on across the board. Mbingo Baptist Hospital is being transformed into a reference center for oncology, Ndu Baptist Hospital now has a modern theatre and the OPD block is being built, thanks to funding from Wimbum Cultural and Development Association, WICUDA, and UNDP. The same scenario is happening in Finkwi Baptist Health Center where the Village Development Association is raising funds to expand services and structures in the health center. Construction works on the Baptist School of Public Health in Mutengene is well on course which will eventually serve as the first campus of the all-important Baptist University. The building is being funded by Liliane and AFAS Foundations via the EDID program. The DHS saluted the various funders and solicited staff to pray for all these projects to be realized in record time.
Mr. Ngum Samuel also brought updates on the other programs and projects running in the system and gave orientation on how all our projects will henceforth operate. He stressed that no project will be run vertically as stand-alone but all will be integrated into the system because we’re one as a system. These updates received applause and satisfaction from the staff.
In each of the facilities visited namely: Nkwen, Bafoussam, BHM, HSC Mutengene, Mboppi, Bonaberi, Etougebe, Mvan and Ekoumdoum, Mr. Ngum Samuel took time to hail the outgone DHS, Prof. Tih Pius Muffih for not only working hard to build the system, but also for training leaders including himself (Mr. Ngum) who is now able to carry on with the baton.
The DHS and team also visited the private health center in Nkoabang where the baby stolen from Ekoumdoum Baptist Hospital Yaounde was intercepted.
The Board Chairs also carried one message throughout the visit. To the Board chair, Prof. Torimiro, “Together, we shall identify the areas affected by rust, look for the right oil to apply on the rust so that the wheel can turn better again”. She said we cannot have two captains in a ship at the same time. “For now, Mr. Ngum is the captain of the ship and we must all support him,” the Board chair instructed. For Prof. Helen Kimbi, vice chair, “We have come to see things for ourselves so that we can have a clear picture when making policies and taking decisions at the level of the Board”.
Both ladies confessed that they were marveled with what they have seen and confirmed that the visit was very useful – teaching and informing them. They joined the Director to thank the staff and their respective administrations for the extraordinary receptions given them with a spice at each of the facilities visited.
The staff representatives at each of the stations visited put up a commendable display of their cares and worries. They made their demands clear and pointed: high cost of house rents, high cost of living, high cost of transportation to work, high cost of children education and healthcare, insecurity, late salary payment and the need to respect the minimum wage as sanctioned by the government among others. The DHS and Board Chairs identified with the challenges and promised better days ahead “When we all work together to face the challenges”.
