Unite for Health taking healthcare closer to the masses Atia Azohnwi
With 11,892 known cases of COVID-19, a disease caused by the novel coronavirus, Cameroon’s healthcare system is going through trying times. Although 7,710 people have reportedly recovered from the disease, 303 others have unfortunately succumbed to it.
As the positive cases increase each day, panic-stricken locals are now staying away from hospitals for fear of being exposed to the disease. This has further worsened the hitherto low access to healthcare in the country.
Observing that there is a huge decline in the number of people visiting hospitals or clinics to consult for their health problems, the Unite for Health Foundation took steps to make healthcare accessible to the masses from the comfort of their bedrooms.
The Unite for Health Foundation has thus rolled out a telemedicine consultation program to permit those unable to go to hospital use their phones and reach out to medical personnel.
“They can either get to us through direct phone calls or video calls to consult with our doctors and get the best of advice on what to do about their health. Our first intention is to screen and educate patients on COVID-19. Fortunately, most households in Cameroon have at least a mobile phone these days,” Unite for Health said in a statement.
The telemedicine consultations were launched at the Unite for Health micro-clinic in Bamenda, capital of Cameroon’s North West Region. The program is also being implemented at Unite for Health micro-clinics in Bonamoussadi-Yaounde and Eloumden-Mbankomo.
“At Unite for Health, we have seen a drastic decline in patient turn over in all our three micro-clinics. Pregnant women who were enrolled for prenatal care are not regular for their routine medical checks,” officials say. “Statistical evidence shows that during the Ebola outbreak in West Africa that we lost more people to malaria than we lost to Ebola. Let us not repeat that with COVID-19.”
Unite for Health management says they do not want to let the COVID-19 emergency separate pregnant women, mothers and children from accessing urgent, life-saving medical care or disease prevention programs. Both are absolutely critical to the public health of thousands of Cameroonians, they say.
Unite for Health Foundation is a non-profit organization operating in Cameroon since 2007 and its mission is to combat infant mortality, and fight infectious and non-infectious diseases by building micro-clinics that provide affordable healthcare and health education for people in remote, underserved African communities.
Patients have been advised to call either directly or through WhatsApp video call between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. from Mondays to Saturdays via +237 651414893 for those in Bamenda, +237 672 020 339 for those in Bonamoussadi – Yaoundé and+237 681 821 944 to reach Unite for Health micro-clinic in Eloumden-Mbankomo.
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