in Cameroon there is a phenomenon of patients being detained in hospitals for non-payment of hospital bills. This has however sparked reactions amongst social media users who say there is an urgent need of Universal HealthCare to assist such patients.
29_year_old Ngwa Frida is one of such patients, she celebrated her first taste of freedom recently, after spending two months of her life imprisoned in a hospital in Yaoundé. The hospital refused to set her free until the medical fee is settled. She was operated upon from stomach ulcer and her family was unable to pay the 400,000 FRS CFA, demanded in the hospital.
“It is a difficult experience, we pleaded even to no avail the hospital said they have paid half of the money so we need to complete it. Given my condition, some staffs of the Faith Health Clinic at ngoussou in Yaounde asked me to work in the hospital so my bills can be settled, she added”.
When the case was reported, it caused outrage in Cameroon and a local charity intervened and paid the bill before she was released.
This other lady says because she couldn’t afford the over 755,000FCFA FRS levied on her, after she gave birth through an operation, she was detained at Laquintini Hospital in Douala.
Some doctors in the hospital said they helped her cover half of her expenditures, so she is expected to pay the rest.
“When they come here, we can’t send them back because it is against the rule, we treat them first before asking for pay, some doctors who decided to be anonymous said.. We need money for the hospital to operate. It might interest you to know that, majority of them after being treated escape, that’s why we are vigilant on the few cases we get.
This however is not supposed to be the case, according to Dr Ezeogu Simon, a clinical Psychologist in Yaounde. Every hospital is expected to have a social affairs department in charge of studying such cases.
“What they do is, the social affairs department goes through your file, and if they realise you can’t afford, they let you go after the treatment. No amount is expected to be deposited before treatment is being done, he stressed. Since we don’t have the Universal Health Care, we have the social affairs department in charge of such cases, he added”.