B’da Regional Hospital gets ultra-modern imaging centre

 By Njodzefe Nestor in B’da

Group picture immortalizing the centre

A modern imaging centre with a C-T scan machine, two fixed  and mobile  X-Ray machines, a dental scan, a Mammograph and an Echography machine has been inaugurated at the Bamenda Regional Hospital.
    Public Health Minister, Andre Mama Fouda inaugurated the FCFA 700 million centre on Tuesday April 20, 2015 in a colourful ceremony attended amongst others by the Minister of Culture, Ama Tutu Muna, Vice President of the Senate, Achidi Achu and SDF Chaiarman Ni John Fru Ndi.
    The centre manned by two radiologists, three technicians, three specialised secretaries and two auxiliary staff for hygiene and sanitation according to Minister Mama Fouda is a concretization of President Biya’s commitment on December 31, 2007, to provide regional hospitals with haemodialysis and C-T Scan centres and a realization of his health for all policy. He also announced that work at the Bamenda Referal Hospital announced by President Paul in 2014 will start soon.

    On the benefit of the centre to the population of the North West, the Director of the Bamenda Regional Hospital, Dr Kinge Thompson Njie said since the centre went operational on November 21, 2014, patient evacuation to Yaounde and Douala for scanning at the cost of FCFA 200000 per patient has come to an end.
    He said between November 2014 and 2015 which was a test period granted by Minister Andre Mama Fouda a total of 1043 C-T Scans  and 3566 X-Rays were conducted.
    On his part, the Government Delegate to the Bamenda City Council who doubles as the chairman of the management committee of the Regional Hospital, Bamenda while thanking President Paul Biya for the gesture observed that the centre puts Bamenda Regional Hospital at the centre of modernity in health facilities which eventually will increase the influx of patients to Bamenda.
    The pomp and fanfare that characterized the day did not however blur Vincent Ndumu’s reading of the plight of the 58 year old hospital.
    “The hospital facilities are made up highly dilapidated structures, its rooms that pass for VIP halls cannot boast of 21st century sanitary facilities. To say the least, the sewage system is inefficient, the water supply poor especially in the dry season. What is supposed to be an emergency unit cannot support emergency and casualty situations. The fence around the hospital is completely broken down giving way for encroachments” he lamented
    To these problems and many others he added the non functioning of two of the eight machines at the newly created Haemodialysis Centre and the epileptic supply of electricity.
    Reacting to the problems raised by the Government Delegate, Minister Andre Mama Fouda said they were “well received and solutions will be provided as the means permit”.