A Mission statement defines the primary objective of an organization; the business, products or services, and customers. It provides detailed information about what the organization does, how it does, and who it does it for. So indeed, it helps focus the Organization on what really matters - to itself as well as to its stakeholders. Whereas, the Vision statement focuses on its goals and aspirations, which describes how the future will look if the organization achieves its mission. The mission and vision of any veritable organization should be timeless.

The vision and mission statements provide a focal point that helps to align everyone with the organization, thus ensuring that everyone is working towards a single purpose. This helps to increase efficiency and productivity in the organization. (From Blog Article by Colour Infusion, Cochrane AB - https://colourinfusion.ca)

Not having clear mission and vision statements would be like going on a journey without knowing the direction you are to follow or the destination.

The CBC Health Services is a Nonprofit, Faith-based, Humanitarian and Inclusive healthcare Organization that addresses both clinical, social, and public health problems affecting individuals and communities in Cameroon in particular and Africa at large. It is one of the departments of the Cameroon Baptist Convention (CBC). CBC founded in 1954 is a living fellowship of churches growing in grace, strengthening one another in faith and working together in obedience to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission of Jesus Christ through worship, preaching, teaching, healing and social ministries. (www.cbc-cm.org).

The Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Service (CBCHS) has as mission to provide care to all who need it as an expression of Christian love and as a means of witness in order that, they might be brought to God through Jesus Christ. Thus, the CBCHB shall provide exemplary Health care with genuine compassion and with overriding purpose of evangelical witness.  This is drawn from Matthew 9:35-36. Her vision is, “Quality care to all”.

The CBCHS since its establishment has been operating in Cameroon striving to further her mission and by no means deviating from it. They strive to PROVIDE CARE TO ALL WHO NEED IT AS AN EXPRESSION OF CHRISTIAN LOVE AND AS A MEANS OF WITNESS. If you go through the Scripture, Jesus ministered to all – those with leprosy, the prostitutes - I mean all who were rejected in the society; even those who hated Him. He had a goal in mind, His goal was the salvation of mankind. As the arm of the church, the CBC Health Services seeks to provide Care to all who need it as an expression of this Christian love and equally as a means of evangelical witness. Jesus fully aware that Judas Iscariot would later betray Him did not disown him but ministered to him as well.

The CBCHS has stood the test of time even in the current crisis situation; She has never deviated from providing care to all who need it. She has been seen in hard-to-reach areas. This is because, she developed a clear sense of her values even before the crisis. CBC Health Services' mission statement indicates a clear concern regarding a commitment to "quality and maintaining the highest standards of honesty and integrity in its dealings with all stakeholders”.

We equally praise God for the transformational leaders in the CBC Health Services who inspire, energize, and intellectually stimulate and stir employees to look beyond their own self-interest for the benefit of individual work groups and the organization as a whole.

The CBC Health Services has used her mission statement as a constant guide for her actions.  She is out to satisfy customers’ needs. The mission of the CBCHS is clear: equality ("the proposition that all men are created equal and in the image of God")

Persevering through tragedy is not easy. The CBCHS has not let her shortcomings to keep her from her work. Staying true to her mission and vision has kept her in focus to learn from any challenges and sailing through when and where many are failing!!!

These participants, from June 19-21, 2024, acquired the skills to handle Gender-Based Violence, GBV, cases in the villages and to screen for and manage important parameters like blood sugar, blood pressure, and Body Mass Index, BMI, which will go a long way to prevent Non-Communicable Diseases, NCDs, like diabetes and hypertension.

Having witnessed many cases of Gender-Based Violence and not knowing how to fully report these, the Village Health Workers were drilled on how to identify and manage such cases, which some did not know could be classified as GBV. They also received expansive knowledge that will contribute to curbing the violence on vulnerable people (especially women and children) in the communities who find it challenging to get readily available help which comes easily to those in the urban areas, and to live healthy lives.

According to Mr. Takwe Boniface, NCDs Program Coordinator for the CBC Health Services, the lifestyles of those in the villages have gradually changed from living on natural elements to mimicking the lifestyles of city dwellers by eating junk and consuming unhealthy food and drinks. This attempt to live seemingly better lives like those in urban areas has brought about an increase in Cancer, Hypertension, and Diabetes in remote communities. In agreement with the NCDs Program Manager, Mme Nsono Josephine, Gender and Child Protection Supervisor of the CBC Health Services noted that there is a significant amount of GBV cases in the villages, which mostly go unreported because the people are either not aware of the concept or the Village Health Workers were not fully informed on how to diagnose them, thus the pertinence of the training.

Mme Angeline from Babanki is a promoter who shared her excitement about her learnings on GBV and NCDs. “This training will help me to properly assist my community, and be better at my job, so I intend to sensitize the people using their churches, quarters heads, njangi groups and I will encourage them to come to the facilities. I have also learned how to report back and refer cases which we cannot handle,” she chimed.

“There are cases of violence especially for the female gender and community workers need the knowledge and skill to be able to handle these conditions and refer to appropriate quarters because victims die in silence in the villages. They should be able to give first aid before being able to refer. For NCDs, they need to know about Know Your Numbers, KYN, a term describing a biometric health screening that provides an overview of a person’s current health, measuring parameters like blood sugar, etc” added Mr Njini George, LAP Program Administrator for the CBC Health Services.

The Director of Health Services, Mr Ngum Samuel, welcomed the participants and appreciated their efforts to provide quality care in their communities. He reminded all that the CBC Health Services began its work with vulnerable people with the leprosy center in Mbingo, therefore showing the importance of reaching out to and providing quality services to the vulnerable in far-off communities. He also emphasized Health System Strengthening, as this will drive the need for capacity building. Recalling the participants to servant leadership, he told them, “When people come to you, they should be excited about returning the next day because you are a source of encouragement to them in your small community”.

These participants will serve as focal persons in their communities which are Tumubuoh in Small Babanki, Vekovi in Jakiri, Chamkfuvene under Noni, Dumbu in Misaje, Adere in Nwa, Koata in Tibati, Mambioko of Ngambe-Tikar area, and the Esimbi localities.

 This was during a one-day workshop on identification and referrals of fistula cases that took place at the Bafoussam Baptist Hospital premises on June 21, 2024.

The workshop was organised by the CBC Health Services Obstetric Fistula Project to educate the community workers on obstetric fistula and the strategies to raise awareness and identify fistula cases in the communities.

Speaking before opening the workshop, the West Regional Delegate of Health, Dr. Chimoun Dauda told the participants that they have a moral obligation to take care of women with fistula and to ensure their treatment.  He explained that someone with a different disease can freely go to the hospital for consultation but women with fistula find it difficult to freely access health care due to the bad odor resulting from the continuous urine or stool leakage.

The West Public Health boss thanked the CBC Health Services for not only taking the initiative to treat women with obstetric fistula but doing so free of charge. He said such an initiative will be a great encouragement to these women most of who are unable to afford for treatment.

During the training, the participants received knowledge on the causes, impact, and prevention of fistula by the CBC Health Services Focal Point for Sexual and Reproductive Health, Njodzeven Divine who told them that obstetric is caused by prolonged and obstructed labour without timely obstetric care. He encouraged them to prevent obstetric fistula by working hard to stop the factors that delay pregnant women from accessing obstetric care early.

For his part the Sexual and Reproductive Health Focal Point at the West Regional Delegation of Health, Mr. Wado Etienne presenting on the role of the community in ending and identifying Obstetric Fistula told the Community Health Workers that their role is capital crucial in ending and treating obstetric fistula. This role according to Mr. Wado includes awareness raising, partnering with community stakeholders, referring suspected cases for confirmation and treatment and also facilitating their reinsertion into mainstream life. He remarked that if after the workshop women with fistula in their communities still remain untreated then they would have failed in their mission.

The Project Coordinator, Ayenjika Yasmeratu at the start of the workshop, gave an overview of the project during which she said the project aims to provide treatment to at least 60 women with obstetric fistula. She also schooled them on procedures for documenting and reporting cases for treatment.

The participants for their part promised to use knowledge gained to fish out all women with fistula and refer them for diagnosis and treatment. Speaking on their behalf, Njimongni Josue thanked the CBC Health Services for enabling them to acquire knowledge that will enable them to cause women with obstetric fistula in their communities to be identified and treated.

Obstetric fistula is a child birth injury that leaves women incontinent (uncontrollable leaking) of urine and or stool through the vagina. It occurs when a woman or girl goes through a difficult and prolonged labour without timely access to an emergency Caesarean Section (operation).

The CBC Health Services is treating the condition free of charge in Nkwen and Mbingo Baptist Hospitals thanks to support from Fistula Foundation.

The CBC Health Services Obstetric Fistula Project Coordinator, Ayenjika Yasemeratu, received them on Saturday, June 15, 2024. The women came in from different parts of the North West, South West, and West Regions of Cameroon.

Orienting the women on their stay at the Hospital during their treatment, Yasemeratu encouraged them to be courageous and pray for the best outcomes of their surgeries.

She further encouraged the women lodging at the Fistula Village in the hospital, to form a family and be each other’s keepers as they undergo their treatment and recovery process.

During the visit, the Coordinator accompanied by the M&E Officer Febmu Bertrand also introduced the project to the Administration of Mbingo Baptist Hospital and discussed official procedures for the effective reception and treatment of women with fistula in the hospital.

The surgeries will be performed for one week by Dr. Ngock George after which they will be relodged at the fistula village for at least 2 weeks for observation. According to the Coordinator, the objective is for any post-surgery complications that may develop to be handled. She explained that if they go back to their communities and develop complications, some may not be able to return to the hospital because of long distances and the cost of transportation.

The women all expressed their gratitude to the CBC Health Services and its partners for facilitating their treatment which they prayed should be successful so that they should come out of the misery and stigma associated with their condition.

Obstetric fistula is a childbirth injury that leaves women incontinent (uncontrollable leaking) of urine and or stool through the vagina.

The treatment centers for the condition within the Obstetric Fistula Project are Mbingo and Nkwen Baptist Hospitals.

The CBC Health Services implements the project with Fistula Foundation funding.

In its partnership with five health districts of the Northwest Region, the Comprehensive Program for the Empowerment of Persons with Disability and Inclusive Access to Basic Services of Health, Education, and Livelihood in the Northwest Region of Cameroon amongst other areas is focusing on safeguarding in health facilities.

It is in line with this that the project organized a 2-day workshop on inclusion, gender, and safeguarding for staff from these district hospitals: Wum, Nkambe, Santa, Nkwen, Foundong, and SAJOCAH Bafut. The workshop held at the Baptist Center Nkwen Bamenda from May 24-25, 2024 with objectives to build the capacity of participants on basic concepts of inclusion, reasonable accommodation, Gender, safeguarding and Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA), validate safeguarding policies and code of conduct, and set up a referral system.

Expounding on the importance of the workshop, the lead facilitators, the Safeguarding Officer,  Boyo Maureen and the Gender Officer, Che Jessie explained to participants that a risk assessment was done at the start of the project to ascertain and, or identify potential risks related to sexual exploitation, abuse, and Sexual Harassment (SEAH) and other forms of harm and abuse that an organization may face. These include: risks to staff, beneficiaries, and other stakeholders with measures put in place to mitigate the risks. Some gaps were identified thus, the reason why the training was organized to train two staff per facility to build their capacities on Gender, safeguarding, and SEA, setting up a one-stop-shop, a referral system, and the importance of appointing a safeguarding focal point as well as advocating for the recruitment of a social worker.

The Project Coordinator, Lohshie Eugene schooled participants on the inclusion of vulnerable groups and persons with disabilities in health care delivery. In a group work, participant reflected on the different vulnerable groups who are persons with disabilities, children, women, and the elderly. They also identified barriers that these groups of persons face in accessing health care such as the physical structure of the hospital, lack of signages to direct them to points of care in the hospital, assistive devices, staff attitude, and Finances amongst others. The session enabled the participants to identify measures of overcoming those barriers such as awareness raising amongst staff and working with the hospital administration to put in place systems that will enable this group of vulnerable persons to access services.

The Gender Officer used her experience to drill participants on Gender Based Violence which is experienced by both men and women. She emphasized the concept of psychosocial support services, its ethics and when to provide it to clients who come to the hospital. She told them to practice "Do no harm approach" as they offer services adding that they need to always get an informed consent from the client before doing their job.

On her part, the Child Safeguarding Officer, Boyo Maurine drilled participants on safeguarding, its principles, and its code of conduct. Given that she was involved in conducting the risk assessment in the different health districts, she shared some of the gaps in the protection and safety for service users. Some of these gaps included: access to quality care and causes of issues that bring clients to the hospital, which may stem from abuse either at the level of the community, families, or other situations.

At the end of the reflections, participants agreed to have a customized code of conduct that will be signed by all staff of each institution including volunteers and contract workers which will enable them to be more cautious of harm to vulnerable people as they carry out their duties. They also identified the need to develop guidelines, especially for government institutions like district hospitals which will help them understand the procedures on how to manage issues on the safety of children which will include prevention and responding to abuse as well as minimizing the effects on the victims.

The workshop participants appreciated the project for building their capacity on safeguarding which is relatively new for most of them. Speaking to one, of the participants, Dr. Beri Bala from Wum District Hospital, she expressed that, thanks to the partnership with the project, some areas of the hospital building have been modified with the construction of ramps to improve access to the different service points of the hospital. She added that this has led to an increase in the number of persons with disabilities accessing the hospital.

It is hoped that with knowledge acquired from the workshop, these health facilities will put in place sustainable systems in their health facilities that will ensure the protection and safety of the vulnerable persons who access their services.

The new DHS let the leaders to have an idea of his roadmap as he chaired three-day strategic meetings that held from May 22-24, 2024, in the Mvan Resource Center in Yaounde.

The event brought together leaders from all CBC Health Services facilities, including Hospital Administrators, Chief Medical Officers, Supervisors of Nursing Services, and Finance Administrators. The meeting, which was chaired for the first time by Mr. Ngum Samuel, the new Director of Health Services, marked a significant milestone in the organization's journey towards sustainability and excellence.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Ngum Samuel outlined his vision for the future of CBC Health Services. Emphasizing the organization's commitment to sustainability, quality improvement, human resource development, and financial strength, Mr. Ngum presented a comprehensive plan to guide his tenure.

Excerpts of the Director’s speech read thus: “This mandate now is to consolidate these hard-earned resources, strengthen the Cameroon Baptist Convention (CBC) Health Services (Health System Strengthening), and fortify our resilience for sustainability (Stewardship). We are also committed to exploring new avenues for innovations, research & development, and partnerships, a testament to our continuous strive for excellence”.

The DHS affirmed that “We cannot reinvent the wheel when it has been proven to work. The mandate is that of fostering growth based on the Vision (Quality healthcare to all) and Mission (“The Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services seek to assist in the provision of care to all who need it as an expression of Christian love and as a means of witnessing so that they may be brought to God through Jesus Christ. Thus, the CBC Health Services shall provide exemplary health care with genuine compassion and with the overriding purpose of evangelical witness”) of the CBC Health Services, which is enshrined in the overall mission and vision of the Cameroon Baptist Convention. These are not just words on a page but a guiding light we all strive to uphold. We are a brand to be jealously guarded, God being our helper”.

The first day focused on the Drug Revolving Fund (DRF) meeting, where participants discussed strategies to enhance the availability and management of essential medicines. The DRF is a critical component in ensuring that patients have consistent access to affordable and high-quality medications. The meeting highlighted the importance of efficient inventory management, timely procurement, and the implementation of robust financial controls to maintain the fund's sustainability.

The second day was dedicated to reviewing the 2024 goals and budget. Leaders from various facilities presented their financial plans and objectives for the coming year. This session provided an opportunity for a comprehensive review of the current financial health of CBC Health Services and the formulation of strategies to meet the organization's goals. Key discussions centered around optimizing resource allocation, improving cost-efficiency, and enhancing revenue streams. The budget review underscored the importance of financial prudence and strategic planning in achieving the CBC Health Services' mission.

The final day of the meeting addressed postings and transfers of key personnel. This session was crucial in ensuring that the right human resources are deployed to areas where they are most needed. Discussions included the evaluation of current staffing needs, planning for future recruitment, and the development of strategies to enhance staff retention and motivation. The effective management of human resources is vital for maintaining high standards of patient care and operational efficiency.

The three-day meeting in Mvan Yaounde was a testament to CBC Health Services' dedication to its mission and its readiness to adapt and grow under new leadership. Mr. Ngum Samuel's vision and the collaborative efforts of the organization's leaders set a strong foundation for future success. As CBC Health Services moves forward, the focus on sustainability, quality, human resource capacity, and financial strength will be pivotal in achieving its goals and continuing to provide exceptional health care services to the communities it serves.