To maintain quality and sustainable services across all her health facilities in Cameroon, the Cameroon Baptist Convention (CBC) Health Services is distinguished as a visionary institution that uses knowledge acquisition and skills empowerment as a tool to upgrade workers’ productivity and boost efficacy in service delivery. Regular trainings and workshops are organized across departments to ensure that knowledge is refreshed and also to enable staff move with the ever changing and innovative healthcare landscape.
From April 25–26, 2025, Laboratory Heads and Key Lab staff converged on Bamenda from all the CBC Health Services institutions in a Laboratory Advisory Committee meeting. The meeting, according to the Laboratory Supervisor for the CBC Health Services, Mr. Fuh Anold has as goal to evaluate achievements recorded since the last meeting in 2021; encourage exemplary leadership; evaluate the quality of the CBC Health Services laboratory services and brainstorm on how to mitigate the ‘robotic’ approach to work among high cadre laboratory staff.
The meeting is also used as a forum to challenge the Laboratory Technicians who are mainline staff to understand laboratory medicine and all the principles associated in contemporary medical laboratory evolution. In line with the Vision of CBC Health Services ‘Quality Care to All’, the meeting buttresses on the importance of quality care. Resolutions at the end of the 2-day intensive training would be channeled through the Director of Health Services for effective implementation in all facilities.
Addressing the Lab Technicians and staff in attendance, the Director of CBC Health Services, Mr. Ngum Samuel was emphatic on the role of the Laboratory in healthcare delivery. In his words “The Laboratory is the centerpiece of Healthcare Delivery because it is the eye of the Screener, Nurse, Physician and related specialists”. The CBC Health Services, he buttressed, has prioritized and put in a lot of investment, capacity building and development to ensure the smooth functioning of the Laboratory, Pharmacy, and Imaging Departments; out-patient departments, which performance is expected to be totally effective.
Speaking as a professional with a background in Biochemistry before onward study in Pharmacy and Public Health, Mr. Ngum stressed that the Laboratory investigations and results that determine diagnosis should always be definite. He hammered on the importance of the reproducibility of results as a testament to competent evaluation of samples. Positive and negative predictive value should be maintained and consistent results are obtained when the tests are repeated. At no moment should patients develop distrust, discord and social media discourse because results are not verifiable, he emphasized. Special attention is being paid to human knowledge, equipment and supplies to ensure this output. “Quality should never be compromised,” the Director emphasized.
In an additional positive note, the Director appreciated the improvement in the number of patients received at the Laboratory from 2023 – 2024. According to updated data, the lab received about 553000 – 590,000 patients respectively, showing an increase of more than 37,000 patients. He encouraged the Lab professionals to continue with the good work that continues to keep the services afloat and ensures sustainability.
The procurement and equipment standardization are what the Director advised the Heads of Laboratories to review to ensure the absence of monopoly in suppliers and aim to secure equipment with limited disappointment possibilities in times of dire need. He advocated for ownership, stewardship of services that will lead to sustainability of the services. He acknowledged everyone present as leaders who should continue to make their impact felt even as they strive to progressively improve their knowledge in Laboratory Science.
Regarding innovation and Research, the Director noted for his passion in these domains when he reminded those in attendance of the existence of a newly created department in his office for Research, Innovation and Partnerships. Expectations are also for those who wish to seek further knowledge to do so in renowned institutions in and out of Cameroon in order to gain knowledge that would be beneficial to the institution with the beneficiaries becoming more of assets.
The loudest applause was generated when after his analysis of ongoing output he confirmed that the CBC Health Services is afloat.