SW Population begins bearing brunt of Doctors Without Borders’ exit

By Tata Mbunwe

The population of the crisis-hit South West region has begun bearing the brunt of the decision of humanitarian organisation, Doctors Without Borders to quit the region. The region’s vulnerable people are the most affected.

Patients who could have benefitted from Doctors Without Borders’ free and prompt care in hospitals around the region are now left to themselves. This, is amid economic hardship caused by the over five-year crisis in the two English-speaking regions of the country.

The case of five-year-old Precious (not her real name) and her mother Tina (not the real name) is already revealing of how much the population depended on the goodwill of this international medical humanitarian non-governmental organisation.

A few weeks ago, before DWB announced its exit from the region, little Precious was hit by a motor bike in Mamfe, Manyu Division, while crossing the road on her return from the tap.

She was rushed to the Mamfe District Hospital, where Doctors Without Borders immediately placed her under its care, rendering free treatment.

But, with the situation not getting any better, the little girl was referred to the Bingo Baptist Hospital in Mutengene, Fako Division, Southwest Region. The cost of this transfer and treatment at Mutengene was still to be covered up by Doctors Without Borders, as they have done in previous cases.

But their untimely exit from the region has left little Precious and her mother Tina all to themselves, with neither money nor resources to cater for the treatment, they told MMI.

The case of Precious is just one out of a thousand others who are in need of basic medical care in both the North West and South West regions of Cameroon, where DWB suspended its services due to accusations by the government.

Exit Due To Strained Relations With Gov’t
In a release last week, DWB’s Deputy Coordinator of Operations for the South West region, Dennis Habaasa, announced it was leaving the South West region because its ability to “conduct its activities in the region has been severely hampered by the difficult relationship with the government authorities amidst false accusations of complicity to secessionists.

“Staring from March 29, 2022, Doctors Without Borders will suspend all its activities in all facilities and communities within the South West region of Cameroon. We will keep on supporting the patients admitted under our care for as long as possible as defined in the Letter of Agreement (LoA) signed by MSF and the facilities, but we will no longer be providing ambulance services, support to medical care in the communities and/or support to any of the private or Ministry of Health medical structure as of today,” the release further read.

Since 2018, when the NGO started operations in the North West and South West regions, tens of thousands of people have benefitted from its free and prompt services.

In August 2021, it suspended operations in the North West region, citing government’s accusations that it was aiding separatist militia in the region who are fighting to create a separate state of Ambazonia, from the Republic of Cameroon.
However, the NGO denied supporting the separatist movement, but acknowledged its independent and impartial treatment of people in the region.

SW loses committed health partner
For the past eight months, after it withdrew from the North West, DWB had focused its humanitarian activities in the South West and Far North regions.
From local leaders, like Kumba City Mayor, Gregory Mewanu; to government officials, health authorities and the population at large, Doctors Without Borders has been hailed for supporting the Ministry of Public Health, MINSANTE, in assuaging the dire health needs of the Southwest populace.

The NGO donated a 150KVA generator to the Mamfe District Hospital in September 2021 and other equipment worth millions of francs. During the vent, the hospital’s Director, Dr John Tabi Nforsong, said the presence of DWB “injected more life to the facility”.

He said his staff strength doubled, thanks to recruitment of medical, paramedical and support staff by Doctors Without Borders. Its withdrawal from the Southwest will leave most of these people unemployed, since they were being paid by DWB.

The NGO told journalists in September last year it was employing 205 persons in the South West region, with 95 of them in Mamfe alone and 70 in Kumba and had budgeted FCFA 4 billion for medical interventions in the region in 2021.