By Elah Geoffrey Mbongale
The minister of Public Health, Andre Mama Fouda is coming under growing pressure for failing to engage in proper dialogue with striking medical personnel and instead sending the strike leaders on punitive transfer.
In what many have described as a disciplinary measure by the Health boss, Minister Mama Fouda las May 11, 2017 announced the transfer of the leaders of medical personnel strike to remote areas. Dr. Ndoudoumou Patrcik Christian, Secretary General of SYMEC, one of the associations of medical personnel involved in the strike was transferred from the Centre region to a Medical Centre in Mayo Baleo division in the Adamaoua Region. Dr. Kamta Ngui Claude Bernard was transferred from the Douala General Hospital in the Littoral Region to the Ngaoul District Medical Centre in the Adamaoua Region. Dr Pierre Yves Bassong, President of the Cameroon Medical Doctors’ Union, will have to leave Bamenda to the Somalomo District Health Centre, Eastern Region. Dr. Laah Ndjoyo Sylvain, also from Bamenda has been sent to Mozogo District Medical Center in the Extreme North Region.
“This reaction from the Minister of Health is proof that, contrary to what he says, our movement, which is very closely followed, is frightening the government. We have a single objective that of improving the working and living conditions of doctors in Cameroon. Instead of finding appropriate solutions to our demands, the Minister tends rather to bully. Such behavior convinces us that we are on the right track and we will continue to achieve our goal”, one of the leaders of the doctors’ strike reacted.
This is the second time in less than a year that the Minister of Public health is coming under pressure for his handling of issues under his command and many are already calling for his resignation.
His handling of the case of Koumateke Monique whose brutal death on April 30, 2016, in front of Laquintini Hospital brought a lot of international and national condemnation on Cameroon’s health system. Koumateke was operated by her niece with a razor to remove her death twins infront of the maternity ward of the hospital.