Cameroon: Mistrust in Public Health and misinformation spreading COVID-19

As the number of cases of COVID -19 keeps increasing in Cameroon and the North West
Region of the country in particular fingers are being pointe to misinformation, denial syndrom
and myths. Others have lost confidence in Cameroons public health structures.

According to the Director of the Bamenda Regional Hospital, Dr. Denis Nsame Nforniwe this
stigma has affected the number of patients now visiting the Bamenda Regional Hospital.
The first case of Coronavirus was announced in the North West Region three months ago.
Latest statistics as of July 8, 2020, indicated a total number of 559 positive cases and 55 deaths.
Health authorities have expressed fears that the situation may worsen if care is not taken.
Unfortunately many others are dieing not because of the virus, but due to the fact that they are
afraid to go to the hospital for adequte treatment for fear of being tested of the coronavirus or
contracting it. In the month of May 2020, consultation at the hospital declined from 300 to 200
persons. This is regretable according to Dr. Denis Nsame “It is true people are running away
from the hospital thus turning to auto-medication because they are afraid. Some people have
mild symptoms and are rather taking ginger, turmeric and others. Some run to small clinics in
the neighborhood and infects others. They run to us when they start having severe symptoms
and need oxygen. At this level, it is too late. We lost one person who took 3 tanks of oxygen but
it was too late. Others stay and die at home thereby exposing other family members to the
virus.”
The community perception of all health issues, automatically transformed into Covid-19,
further scares many away from the hospital. Many still go for auto-medication to deal with
fever and cough which they consider mild but which can be deadly under present
circumstances. Others still do not trust the public health authorities.
Amanhwi Jenevive, a student in Bamenda, preferred consulting at a different hospital than the
regional hospital because to her, wrong diagnoses are given at the hospital. “My uncle had a
problem with his leg and died a few days after admission at the regional hospital. They did a
Covid-19 on the corpse and four days later, they told us he had the disease. So when I felt sick,
my father sent me to consult at the regional hospital but I went to a clinic because I was scared
the same thing could happen to me.”
An allegation refuted by the health authorities “All the doctors are consultants, and they might
have a patient in the ward who may later show signs of the disease. The doctors will have to
request for a Covid-19 test. These doctors are at risk everyday and have nothing to gain from
confirming someone is positive.”

The scare and trauma is taking another angle as some families now prefer to keep their dead at
private owned mortuaries like that owned by the Catholics in Akum on the outskirts of
Bamenda.
Government has been insisiting on testing all corpses as a strategy of having sure data of the
number of people who die from COVID-19 in and out of the hospital and to prevent the spread
of the virus to persons. According to Dr. Denis Nsame, a corpse is like a table and though it does
not sneeze or cough the secretions from the body is infectious so the corpse has to be treated
with care. The Cameroon Ministry of Public Health insists that COVID-19 related deaths must be
buried within 48 hours.
Covid-19 Test Center
The North West Region Covid-19 technical platform has 5 departments with Dr Denis Nsame as
the chief of the diagnosis and case management section and Dr Mercy Fundoh as the chief of
the case management unit. Mr Yuyun Timothy is the head of the laboratory unit. Mr Njiyap
Francois stands as the head of the psychosocial support unit and Mr Ntoungwen Achilles is the
head of the post mortem unit.The tuberculosis center now plays host to the Covid-19
laboratory set up on April 19, 2020 by a team from Centre Pasteur Yaounde.
The Covid-19 solidarity ward which holds 6 beds and a 10 bed capacity modern tent donated by
Doctors without Borders is located outside the premises of the hospital so as to better contain
the virus. All health districts in the North West Region are now in possession of the rapid
diagnostic test for Covid-19, following the supply by the minister of Public Health.
According to Dr. Denis Nsame, the Covid-19 treatment will be decentralized. “All health districts
will soon have treatment centers. The big hospitals like Bingo and Shisong are already treating
patients.”
As of July 7, 2020 Cameroon had 14.916 positive cases, 11.525 treated and 359 deaths.

Manzie Maikem