Mbingo - Hospital Scenes

Mbingo started in 1952 as a leprosy settlement - intentionally placed at a location that was rather remote at the time. It became a full hospital in 1965. There are somewhere between 250 and 300 beds including 30 men's ward, 30 women's ward, 26 pediatrics, 20 maternity, 70 surgical/eye, 30 orthopedics/accident, 30 ulcer/chronic,  some TB/isolation, and a few private rooms.

Mbingo is part of a system operated by the Cameroon Baptist Convention-Health Services (CBC) which started about 50 years ago in the Northwest Province of Cameroon and which now has programs in 6 of the 10 Cameroonian provinces. The system is "not for profit and faith based" and includes 5 hospitals including Mbingo and Banso with over 250 beds, 43 village clinics, a central distribution and pharmacy operation, and training programs for medical assistants, nurses, midwives, dental assistants, pharmacy techs, physical therapy techs, X ray techs, and pastoral chaplains!  The system works with national and international health care organizations that are both governmental and private. It was an early proponent of HIV education and has a community based educational program training center that has trained personnel from 15 African countries in PMTCT (prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV).....It is important to mention that this health system is run by Cameroonian nationals. Professor Tih Pius Muffih ("Prof Tih") has been the director for many years - he is from a small nearby village and has many degrees including a Masters in Public Health from Boston University!

In addition to those programs, Mbingo particates in the PAACS Program (Pan African Academy of African Surgeons) which trains African doctors to be general surgeons using North American missionary surgeons as teachers in a  rigorous 5 year program.  The PAACS Program has a number of training sites throughout Africa.

Here at Mbingo, we also have the CIMS Program (Christian Internal Medicine Specialization Program) which started 4 years ago by Dr. Dennis Palmer and which will soon be graduating its first residents. Their  main emphasis is in internal medicine but they also spend time in pediatrics and obstetrics.

Each day starts with a chapel service at 6:40.

The men's ward with about 30 beds - Dave is the staff physician here this month
working with a first year resident and a nurse practitioner. ...The blue
curtains can be pulled down for privacy

Sister Irene, head nurse, and Dr. Tumi on the men's ward

Dr. Tumi at the bedside - I don't know the details but he said that he
had done his medical school training in Russia!

Sister Philippa, a nurse practitioner, who is also working
 on the men's ward

Two staff nurses doing their charting-
many nurses here wear the white caps of yesteryear

Internist Chuck Barrier giving a talk to the residents

Many patients come and go by taxis, which are often
packed full, top and bottom!