Opportunity and Challenge at the Protestant Hospital in N’gaoundéré, Cameroon

Many of you are reading this are following along with Courtney and I’s day to day travels and experiences in the hospital. We will continue to post those stories on future blogs. But I want to take the time to speak to opportunities and challenges to those who are planning on travelling and working here at the hospital and those that may contemplating it. I also want to speak to anyone who wants to help in other ways. Please see the ‘how do I help section’ at the end of this blog.


First, I will speak to the challenges. First and foremost is the language. Although, in theory, Cameroon is a bilingual country with French and English being the primary languages, this can be misleading. English and French sections of Cameroon are well demarcated and N’gaoundéré is French speaking. So I would strongly suggest really learning basic French or having at least one translator; preferably more for large groups working in the hospital. Courtney and I made a valiant effort in this regard but it does take a good deal of uninterrupted time. Even if one knows French, many natives speak in tribal languages which further complicate communication especially in the healthcare field. This can be overcome by developing relationships with local doctors, nurses, and healthcare staff; which brings me to my next point.

Language isn’t everything. In my short stay here, my feeling is that many of the Cameroonian people working in the hospital feel like they can take care of their own with what resources they have. Some might even feel threatened or resent that Americans have come here “to save them.” It is analogous to a foreign doctor coming in and telling your long time family physician that his treatments had been inadequate. Not an easy situation by any means. Carolyn Brown, a nurse and the wife of the head surgeon of PAACS Jim Brown, said it took here one year before she felt like she had develop the rapport to teach the other nurses. When Dr. Jim Brown took over, there was essentially no documentation system and it was anybody’s guess if the doctor’s orders were performed by the nurses. He has spent the last 1.5 years attempting to change the system and it has only recently been working with few setbacks.

Lastly, and maybe the most obvious problem, is finances. Many people simply have very little money and the resources they do have go to food and shelter. Jim and Carolyn have set up a benevolent fund for emergencies and surgeries deemed necessary. People pay out of pocket for everything. People have to purchase manually all the treatment they will receive in the hospital. This includes IV fluids, medication, and surgery before anything will be done. Recently, we had a woman unable to immediately pay for an urgent treatment in the ER and she was not treated overnight because of her financial issues.

OK, now onto the positive points. With the caveat of what I wrote above, much is needed here and much can be done. In regards to healthcare personnel, an anesthesiologist or nurse anesthesitist would be huge help. The anesthesia staff is overwhelmed with the volume of surgeries and need help with the quick turnaround often needed in surgery. Secondly, medical supplies, basic sanitation equipment, and medications are sorely lacking. Moreover, any doctor or nurses willing to make the trip would be a help. Specifically general surgeons, OB-GYN docs, and Internal Medicine specialists and nurses experienced in these fields would be of help. In regards to specific donations, donations to the hospital for infrastructure I think we be the best use of money. Infrastructure may be the largest problem facing this hospital. The hospital is simply nowhere near where it needs to be in many areas.

We will be posting a “how can I help” section that will be continuously updated with contacts and specifics on how to go about making a difference here.

-Brent Brown