Unite For Health Launches Telemedicine Services In Cameroon

Unite for Health Foundation has launched telemedicine services, aimed at helping Cameroonians who are unable to go to regular hospitals, due to the COVID-19 health pandemic.

Recalling that during the Ebola outbreak, more people died of malaria than of the virus, Unite for Health says the situation does not have to repeat with the COVID-19 pandemic. The organisation also noted that Cameroon’s healthcare system is going through a challenging moment as the number of cases of COVID-19 keeps rising

“As many are dying from this pandemic, the panic and fear is increasing among the population. Families suffer from the pain of not being able to bury their loved ones who die from COVID-19 dues to burial restrictions and conditions imposed by the government. There have been a number of incidence where families are seen protesting in the hospital that their relative died from negligence and stigmatization and not COVID-19. This has compounded the problem of access to healthcare during this period. There is a huge decline in the number of people visiting hospitals or clinics to consult for their health problems.” The organisation stated.

The organisation further stated that they have seen a drastic decline in patient turn over their three micro-clinics. “Pregnant women who were enrolled for prenatal care are not regular for their routine medical checks”.

Talking about deaths that may occur because people stay away from hospitals, Unite for Health stated that, “Statistical evidence shows that during the Ebola outbreak in West Africa we lost more people to malaria than we lost to Ebola. Let us not repeat that with COVID-19.

“That is why we have decided to launch a telemedicine program at Unite For Health Foundation in order to permit those in the communities that we serve to be able to use their phones and reach out to us either 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.” They stated.

The foundation also stated that they also intend to screen and educate patients on COVID-19 through their services, especially as most households in Cameroon have a mobile phone.

“We shall be launching this program in Bamenda in the Northwest region of Cameroon where we have one of our health facilities and it shall go operational in all our three micro-clinics.

Patients in Bamenda can call this number either directly or through Whatsapp video call, between 8am – 6pm from Mondays to Saturdays.

Contacts:

Bamenda: +237 651414893

Bonamoussadi – Yaounde: +237 672 020 339

Eloumden-Mbankomo: +237 681 821 944

We do not want to let the COVID-19 emergency separate pregnant women, mothers and children from our urgent, life-saving medical care or disease prevention programs. Both are absolutely critical to the public health of thousands of Cameroonians.” Unite for health stated.

About Unite for Health

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.