The Minister of Public Health, Dr. Manaouda Malachie, has issued a stern directive aimed at curbing the trend of civil service medical doctors transitioning to private practice.
In a press release dated June 13, Dr. Manaouda highlighted the increasing number of government-employed doctors seeking to obtain private practice licences, a situation he described as alarming.
Dr. Malachie stated, “For several weeks now, medical doctors have been requesting from my technical services for visas to be affixed to the private practice licenses already issued by the Cameroon National Medical Council (CNMC).”
He emphasised that according to Law No. 90/036 of August 10, 1990, regarding the practice and organisation of the medical profession, these endorsements must be affixed by the Ministry of Public Health, based on the health map—a governmental planning instrument—before the CNMC’s Board Chair can sign off.
The Minister warned the medical community against obtaining private practice authorizations in violation of these regulations, declaring such endorsements null and void.
He further clarified, “No visa will be issued for regularisation at the level of this ministry.”
This directive comes amid reports of an increasing exodus of medical professionals seeking better opportunities abroad, as well as a notable shift from public to private sector employment within Cameroon.
Medical doctors and teachers are reportedly among the highest number of professionals leaving the country for better-paying jobs overseas.
The trend of doctors moving to private practice within Cameroon is driven by the significantly higher earnings from private clinics compared to government hospitals.
This shift has exacerbated the challenges within the public healthcare system, where patients often receive inadequate attention unless additional payments are made.
Despite the government’s efforts to boost universal health coverage through the construction of new healthcare infrastructure in various regions, the quality of care in government-run hospitals remains subpar.
Dr. Malachie’s directive aims to mitigate these issues by retaining more doctors within the public sector to improve overall healthcare delivery.
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