Public Health Minister, Andre Mama Fouda last week laid the foundation stone.
Construction work on the Bamenda Medical Imaging Centre is said to be on the right footing. The Minister of Public Health, Andre Mama Fouda was in Bamenda on Wednesday October 26 to lay the foundation stone of the centre, appealing to the contractor to respect the deadline and keep to the terms of the contract by carrying out quality work.
Minister Andre Mama Fouda said one of the priorities of President Paul Biya was to provide better healthcare to all Cameroonians at affordable cost. He said President Biya promised medical imaging centres for all ten regional hospitals and Bamenda is the fifth to be realised. He said the government will continue to rehabilitate and equip the hospital.
The Government Delegate to the Bamenda City Council, Ndumu Nji Vincent, rejoiced at the fact that the people will no longer travel to Douala or Yaoundé for imaging. He thanked the Head of State for such a wonderful gift to the people of the North West Region. Like Oliver Twist, he pleaded with government to rehabilitate the 55 year-old hospital that has a bed capacity of only 400. He said the hospital needs an emergency unit and a modern mortuary.
Worthy of note is that the imaging centre upon completion will contain a dental paranomic x-ray unit, mammography unit, colour Dopple Ultrasound 3D, mobile x-ray unit, CT scanner and a reprography. Meanwhile, the contractors, NUMELEC, say they will complete the project on schedule. According to NUMELEC’s Cameroon Manager, Alain Nkana, the imaging centre upon completion will cost about FCFA one billion. He said they started work two weeks ago and promised to give their best.
The Minister also inaugurated the FCFA 120 million building housing the Regional Delegation of Public Health. He equally took time off to evaluate the distribution of Long-lasting Insecticidal Mosquito nets in the region and was satisfied with the progress. Dr Odile Tchakuntoau, Head of the North West Malaria Control Unit, said the region had a coverage rate of 94 per cent. She said the major problem being faced was the distribution of nets in far off places like Furu-Awa, Misaje, Nwa, etc. She called on those who have their vouchers and have not collected nets to do so immediately.
