Press release: fire at Kumba district hospital

It is with dismay that the MedCamer community learned the fire outbreak at the Kumba district hospital during the night of the 10th to the 11th of February 2019. This disaster took the life of two sick Cameroonian citizens, burned in their beds; completely destroyed five units including the operating room and the doctors’ ward, with all their work tools and furniture. Other material losses have been reported. The relocation of the patients had to be organized with the vehicles of the administrative authorities, the ambulance of the Kumba District Hospital having already been burned in October 2018.

This sad event leaves many surviving patients and 80 staff members, all traumatized and worried for their safety and their lives. All this in a context of «Ghost Town» which has been going on for several days.

On behalf of the entire community of Cameroon medical doctors, MedCamer presents her heartfelt condolences to the families of the two who died in the fire, and offers her psychological and technical support to all the survivors and to the staff of the Kumba District Hospital.
If this act is of deliberate human origin, MedCamer strongly condemns it. Regardless of the reasons and motives, there would be no justification for the attack on services which are only intended to provide help and care to ALL, WITHOUT EXCEPTION. Health structures are essentially humanitarian, impartial and non-partisan. The medical corps that adopted this Louis Pasteur’s assertion “No matter who you are, no matter where you come from, you are sick and it is enough for me”, should not be targeted by anyone for anything in return.

By renewing our support to all those directly or indirectly affected, we sincerely hope that such events will no longer occur in a health facility or anywhere else in Cameroon.

Yaounde, February 19, 2019
For MEDCAMER,
Dr SAWA Brice, General Secretary