Health Minister gives “new” guidelines to hospitals

He reminded regional delegates of Public Health and managers of health facilities that in cases of vital emergency, support is immediate and without payment condition.

The Minister of Public Health, Andre Mama Fouda, met on Thursday, March 31, in his services in Yaounde, with all regional representatives of health and managers of health facilities in various categories. Given the highly topical in recent days in public hospitals of Cameroon, this event sounds like a call to order.

After long hours of exchanges behind closed doors with regional delegates of Health and directors of hospitals in the country, he made public a series of measures.

The most important points to retain, as regards the care of patients is that, the medical staff must be permanent and binding in all hospital services. In life-threatening emergencies, “support is immediate and without payment condition. Medicines and medical consumables management of vital distress, shall for this purpose be available and accessible 24/7 in emergency services.

Rounds and daily visits of doctors are mandatory in all hospital services, “said Andre Mama Fouda.

In addition, moving a patient in the clinic must be supervised by staff. In a case of evacuation, it is the hospital of departure that is responsible and everything must be done in conditions of maximum medical safety, in cooperation with the host hospital.

The reception in health training institutes was also on the agenda. One holds that now, wearing identification badges for all health personnel is mandatory. On the security front, André Mama Fouda notes that “any person who accesses a health facility must be identified. Access to sensitive areas must be strictly controlled.

The number of attendants must be limited. The entry of vehicles should be limited to those of the personnel of the hospital. Others must be identified at the entrance and the exit. First and second categories of hospitals should set up within six months a video surveillance system and access hotspots. “

Internally, each facility must submit within 30 days an internal audit of its operations among others. “I encourage all directors to the immediate implementation without delay of these guidelines will be subject to a periodic assessment, including possible sanctions,” insisted the minister, in a firm tone.