Between January and late February 2026, the Director of Health Services (DHS), Mr. Samuel Ngum visited three countries, which fallouts shines hope for a change in healthcare dynamics in the CBC Health Services in particular and Cameroon in general. The visits to India, Dubai and Madagascar were deliberate, strategic and each tied to better healthcare to Cameroonians.
The Communication Unit of the CBC Health Services accosted the DHS in a sit-down conversation to shed light on these three trips abroad.
India (January 31 – February 7): The visit to India was prompted by an honest look in the mirror. A systematic review of the CBC Central Pharmacy (CP) published by Samuel Ngum et al. and a pharmaceutical supply chain audit at the Central Pharmacy had revealed gaps, which one of the biggest was supplier control. This prompted the DHS, Mr. Samuel Ngum and the Manager of Central Pharmacy, Ngah Edward to go straight to the source: India’s pharmaceutical manufacturers.
For one whole week, Mr. Samuel Ngum and Pharmacist Ngah Edward visited the following manufacturing companies: MAXTAR Bio-genics, Baddi, Himachal Pradesh, VITAEGISS Wellness, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, ARMEIN Pharmaceuticals, Anand, Gujarat and PATWA Pharmaceuticals, Ahmedabad, Gujarat. They walked through manufacturing floors, reviewed stability studies, inspected air filtration systems, and storage areas. The goal wasn’t just a tour, it was a prequalification visit geared towards strategic negotiations leading to results.
“From June this year, the CBC Health Services will be receiving medicines directly from manufacturers. That means better quality medicines at better prices, thus improving access, availability, and affordability for patients across all our health facilities,” the DHS announced.
The CBC Central Pharmacy is already authorised to manufacture infusion fluids and distribute across Central Africa. The CP has the space and the plans to grow further. Discussions with Indian partners on building quality assurance capacity, including advanced equipment like high-performance #chromatography systems, are already underway. The CBC Health Services is making giant strides in the area of medication availability and affordability.
The visit also addressed critical gaps identified in our recent evaluation, particularly in supplier vetting, warehousing, and inventory management. We explored innovations in large-volume infusion and tableting and identified potential future initiatives to further enhance our pharmaceutical services.
“Together, we’re taking concrete steps to ensure that only high-quality, safe medicines reach our communities and to protect public health in Cameroon,” Mr. Ngum assured.
Dubai (February 9–13): The Future of Healthcare Is Already Here! The #worldhealthexpo2026 in Dubai was an eye-opener. Innovations, technologies, and #AI-integrated medical equipment that represent where healthcare is heading, and Mr. Ngum made sure the CBCHS was in the room. The Director’s thinking is clear: we cannot be left behind in healthcare delivery. And with medical equipment increasingly integrated with #artificialintelligence, the upgrade isn’t just necessary, it’s urgent. The CBC Health Services joins the Healthcare bandwagon of innovation and contemporary technology.
Madagascar (February 23–27): The 12th Biennial African Christian Health Associations Platform (ACHAP) Conference 2026, was a meeting point to rethink Healthcare in a Changing World. The meeting brought together faith-based health organisations from across #Africa, and the timing couldn’t have been more critical. With significant global funding cuts reshaping what’s possible, the conversation was about redesigning, not retreating. It means localizing interventions, building sustainable care models, and being intentional about flexible service delivery, from fixed hospitals to mobile clinics and #community outreaches.
The ACAHP Conference tickled participants to ask hard but necessary questions: Are we ready for the next outbreak? The next disaster? The next pandemic? Are we protecting our healthcare workers while advancing universal health coverage, while ensuring people receive the care they need without being pushed into poverty? These critical questions, the DHS said, are justifiable reasons that the health system in Africa, the CBC Health Services and Cameroon inclusive, must rethink out of the box.
His vision from the conference is very clear: “A woman in labour in Banyo should never be out of reach of a specialist. Health can make that a reality, and the CBCHS is equipped for these trends”.
Reflection: The Communication Unit seized the moment to inquire the DHS to evaluate his close to two years period in office this far. “Every single day in my office is a learning experience”. “You don’t do this alone, each staff member contributes to form a big block,” he remarked.
Mr. Samuel Ngum restated his commitment: “The mandate hasn’t changed: Stewardship, System Strengthening, and Sustainability….The first half of this year was concentrated on medical supplies. The second half is for structural development”. He assured that the CBC Health Services is caring for people and is very much on track, strengthening systems, contributing to universal health coverage, and building the future for all in need of quality services. The DHS paid tributes to the missionaries and the former DHS, Prof. Tih Pius Muffih for laying a solid foundation for the CBC Health Services with sustainability in view.
