Emelda, a 30-year-old entrepreneur from Bamenda, tragically lost her mother due to delays in receiving medical test results at the Bamenda Regional Hospital. She expressed her anguish, stating that her mother might still be alive if the referral hospital had been operational as intended.
“Going by the standard a referral hospital is supposed to have, my mother’s test results would have been instantly given…she would not have died. We were told to come back later because the machine at the regional hospital was experiencing low voltage and could barely print. The result was available three days after she had died.”
Like Emelda, many have been caught up in similar situations, unable to access healthcare services as seamlessly as some privileged individuals, like Prof. Joseph Owona, a former minister of public health in Cameroon, who received financial support for medical evacuation to France.
Faced with such challenges, coupled with the limited space at the Bamenda Regional Hospital, one might argue that President Paul Biya’s presidential gift of a referral hospital in Bamenda has been neglected, even if many feel the project has been abandoned.
While the Bamenda Regional Hospital grapples with space constraints, hectares of land, and construction materials are lying in ruins in the area where a referral hospital was planned. The 15 billion FCFA project failed to progress beyond the foundation, seven years after the foundation stone was laid by the then minister of Public Health, André Mama Fouda. The site is located at Ntanang – Nkwen in Bamenda III Sub Division Mezam Division.
Launched on May 3rd, 2017, by the then minister for Public Health, André Mama Fouda, the referral hospital was supposed to be completed and equipped with a budget of 15 billion frs CFA by October 2018. However, since the foundation stone was laid, little progress has been made, and the site is now a vast area covered with grass.
The area consists mainly of stones arranged as foundations, construction materials, and equipment covered by tall dry grass. The only functional structure is a tattered security post from where security officers guard the abandoned site.
Efforts Abound, Yet Referral Hospital Projects in Bamenda and Buea Remain Dormant
Many have been wondering if the Bamenda referral and teaching hospital has been abandoned by the contractors or neglected by the state.
“Our hopes have been dashed; we still travel long distances and pay costly bills, whereas we had given our lands and support for the construction of the referral hospital,” said a resident of Ntambang.
The site of the Bamenda referral hospital was known for strike actions by construction workers. Before the work ended abruptly in 2018, workers had gone on strike twice, citing a lack of pay for several months.
“We could not have continued working when the subcontractor claimed he had lost communication with a certain Alliance company charged with the construction. We went on strike repeatedly and decided to leave,” said Mr. Chi, a former worker at the site.
In February 2021, Hon. Banmi Emmanuel led a parliamentary commission of inquiry to the site, expressing dismay at the abandoned project.
“We are at a loss that the project to construct the head of state’s special gift of a referral hospital for the North West Region since 2017 is yet to be completed and delivered,” said Hon. Banmi, the parliamentary team lead.
Three years after the parliamentary inquiry, work has failed to commence, and the parliamentarians have also gone silent, while the common man travels to other regions to seek medical services at a higher cost.
In December 2023, the Fon of Nkwen, Azehfor III, while addressing lovers of culture and the administration of the region at the Bamenda III Council Festival of Heritage, Arts and Culture (FEHACU), lamented the abandonment of the referral hospital.
Don Azehfor III said, “We appeal for the resumption of work on the referral hospital that has been abandoned for many years.”
Insecurity Blamed for Stalling Referral Hospital Projects in Bamenda and Buea
In Cameroon, referral hospitals exist in Ebolowa, Garoua, Bertoua, Maroua, Ngoundere, while those of Bamenda and Buea have been abandoned, with officials citing insecurity due to the socio-economic crisis in those two regions.
Insecurity, the scapegoat
Contractors of the Bamenda referral hospital blame the abandonment on insecurity.
Michael Mubang, a subcontracting officer for the project, informed a group of lawmakers in 2021 that “the contracting agency completely abandoned works in November 2018 due to the security crisis in the region.”
This is in sharp contrast to what the anxious population thinks of the project.
“I think if we go by their mantra of “the situation is under control”, then insecurity should not be a worry,” said Ta’a Chum, a resident.
“They blame their bad fate on insecurity; what is the use of the military at an abandoned site? They can guard the grass but cannot ensure work proceeds. This is unfortunate,” lamented another resident.
Besides the referral hospital, there is also an abandoned project site intended for the construction of 100 low-cost houses.
Five years and four months since the project was supposed to have been completed, not even the head of state is worried that his gift has not reached the people of the North West Region.
Even the newly created Regional Assembly has yet to address the issue publicly, further exacerbating the frustration and disappointment of the populace.
As the years pass without tangible progress, the once hopeful anticipation for these vital healthcare facilities has turned into a desperate plea for action, as communities grapple with the harsh realities of neglected promises and crumbling infrastructure.
