According to data released by the healthcare facility, the Laquintinie Hospital in Douala saw an increase in admissions over the Christmas holiday, with 127 people seeking treatment for injuries between December 23 and December 25.
Despite the festive season, the hospital staff remained vigilant and active, dealing with various cases that required medical intervention.
Among the 127 admissions, the hospital reported 72 cases requiring surgical procedures, 20 cases related to fights, 31 cases stemming from public road accidents, 4 work-related accidents, 1 sports-related accident, and 13 cases classified as non-traumatic emergencies.
The diverse nature of cases reflects the range of incidents that occurred during the holiday period.
Georges Seme, head of the communications unit at Laquintinie Hospital in Douala, provided insights into the distribution of cases.
“The Laquintinie hospital in Douala is the most important health facility in our country. And you know that the activity there is intense in normal times and it increases during the holiday periods and that was also the case this year again and we recorded a total of 127 admissions in the emergency department from December 23 to 25, 2023,” Seme said.
The increased demand for emergency medical services prompted the hospital management to enhance its capacity to respond effectively.
Measures included bolstering human resources, ensuring the availability of medicines, and upgrading equipment to cope with the heightened activity during the festive season.
“The management of Laquintinie Hospital is taking care to increase the emergency capacity in terms of human resources, availability of medicines, and equipment because there is a peak in activity and a resurgence of activity at the end of the year. This will also be the case during the crossing of New Year’s Eve, as has been the case in previous years,” added Georges Seme.
While the hospital acknowledged the substantial attendance in 2023, it noted a positive trend in decreasing cases of traffic accidents, food poisoning, or domestic violence during the end-of-year celebrations in Cameroon, particularly in Douala.
The observed shift in behavior over the years suggests increased responsibility and restraint among Cameroonians during festive periods, likely influenced by the high cost of living.
