About 20 000 Premature babies die yearly, according to the World Health Organization, due to the absence of incubators in neo-natal wards. According to a General Practitioner, Incubators are very important because, it helps maintaining the warmth as well as humidification of Premature babies.
Neo-Natal incubators also enhances of growth of baby’s reasons why, babies born before their time are kept in incubators. Neo-natal incubators exist in two types, closed box incubators which have a fresh air filtration that minimize the risk of infections and prevent the loss of moisture in the air. Open box incubators for more developed babies who can breathe on their own.
Cameroon has only 100 Neo-natal incubators, for several thousand health facilities hence a major problem for pregnant women, who have been expressing their worries calling on the government to ensure incubators are provided in every health center for the safety of babies. In hospitals where these incubators are found, they are not energy resilience as if there is a power cut, the baby can die.
Mary Ann an expectant mother now recounts the incident which led to the death of her premature baby.
“In 2016, I lost my baby in a health center in Yaoundé because of the absence of neo-natal incubator. When I arrived the hospital, the midwife told me my baby will be premature, but since there are no neo-natal incubators, it will be safe for me to go to another hospital. Due to pressure from the child, I could not move. After putting to birth, the midwife wrapped the baby in a warm cloth and told me to rush to a hospital where I can find one. Before getting there my baby passed on. We really need neo-natal incubators our babies are dying.
Another woman tells the story of how she had to wait for another woman to be discharged from the neo-natal ward before her baby could get in
“incubators were not enough I had to wait for hours for another woman to leave before my baby gets into the ward unfortunately it was too late”
Midwives have expressed their concern; Cynthia Bih is a midwife at the Bafoussam regional hospital
“We have ten new births in a month, six are premature the high mortality is due to the poor transport conditions of the babies, who are not always well wrapped.”
Some hospitals who do not have enough incubators try alternatives such as the Kangaroo method, developed by pediatricians in the 1970s. The practice consists of placing the baby in contact with the mother’s skin to the ideal temperature conditions. Weight gain is rapid with this method, it is more effective and a bond is established.
While the government has been working to remedy the situation, some Cameroonians have come up with some made in Cameroon specially designed incubators for premature babies. One of them, Serge Armel Njidjou who has designed an incubator which is energy resilient and interactive. He and his crew have since its creation been distributing it to Private and public hospitals this has gone a long way to help remedy the situation though a lot still needs to be done.