Informed by its vision “Quality Care to All,” CBC Health Services in partnership with Orange Foundation has extended essential healthcare services to over 700 residents of Bali during a free medical outreach.
Under the auspices of the Regional Delegation of Public Health for North West, with implementation at the Bali District Hospital, residents of the conflict-stricken community overflew the expectation of the outreach team which happened for two days in Bali recently.
The outreach marked the first official visit of Nkwen Baptist Hospital medical team to Bali District since February 2022. The comprehensive medical team comprised experts across multiple specialties: mental health, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), ophthalmic health, physiotherapy, nutrition, ENT, and women’s health. The mission was further strengthened by the presence of two medical doctors, including a paediatric ophthalmologist.
“The mass mobilization was beyond our expectation,” shared Dr. Kamilou Ibrahim, Director of Bali District Hospital. “We received more than seven hundred people and could not attend to them all because we were saturated,” he explained.
Meeting Critical Needs
For two days, the response was overwhelming as community members flocked to receive care for diverse health conditions that had been neglected due to the ongoing conflict. The partnership between Orange Foundation and CBC Health Services ensured that all medications were provided free of charge – a profound relief for a community whose healthcare needs have been marginalized by years of armed conflict. “Screening people and not providing them with medication, is as good as doing them no good,” Ngwayi Rogers, Coordinator of this initiative said. Close to four million FCFA was spent to support medication and basic laboratory tests to these people.
The medical team treated everything from routine check-ups to complex conditions that had gone untreated for years. Mental health support was particularly crucial, given the psychological impact of prolonged conflict on the community.
Ray of Transformation
Among the hundreds served, 75-year-old Mami Esther Bali’s story was a struck of emotions impact. Visually impaired and struggling to navigate her daily life, she burst into tears of joy upon receiving a white cane from CBC Health Services.
“May God bless CBC and all the people who have supported them to touch my life this day. I am very happy that I could receive this level of support from you people,” she said through tears. The white cane will now enable her to move around her community with greater independence and dignity.
Her emotions were representative of the hundreds whose lives were uniquely touched during this outreach – elderly residents who received blood pressure medications, children who got their first eye examinations, mothers who accessed reproductive health services, and trauma survivors who received mental health support.
Looking Forward
While the two-day outreach provided immediate relief, it also revealed the enormous unmet healthcare needs in Bali community. The overwhelming response – with medical teams unable to attend to everyone who sought care is an opener to the urgent need for sustained healthcare interventions in Bali District.
“Subsequently, if we have this opportunity again, it is my appeal that more time should be allocated for the exercise. The people of Bali have suffered significant losses from the crisis, their economic life is weakened. We are asking for more investment for their medication and laboratory tests,” Dr. Kamilou appealed.
Community Gratitude
As the medical team packed up their equipment and prepared to leave, they were surrounded by grateful community members. Many, like Mami Esther, expressed heartfelt thanks for bringing hope back to a place that had seen so much suffering. The outreach proved that even in the midst of ongoing challenges, healthcare can serve as a bridge – connecting isolated communities to the care they desperately need and reminding them that they have not been forgotten.
