For families with limited resources, these amounts are astronomical, leaving many mothers unable to settle their debts and regain their freedom. Some of the women have been held for months, highlighting a systemic crisis in Cameroon’s healthcare infrastructure.

Detention of Mothers and Newborns

At the Gynaeco-Obstetric Hospital in Yaoundé, multiple women and their newborns remain confined. Among them:

Oloa Joséphine (400,000 FCFA, two months in detention)
Aimée Rachelle (400,000 FCFA, two months in detention)
Mbessa Émilienne (320,000 FCFA, two weeks in detention)
Meyo Thérèse (500,000 FCFA, two months in detention)
Ndoumou Bella (200,000 FCFA, two weeks in detention)
Amana Nloubouli Christine (230,100 FCFA, two weeks in detention)
Marie Ekobena (275,000 FCFA, one month in detention)
Zebe Marcelline (300,000 FCFA, two weeks in detention)
Yotilakem Nathalie (500,000 FCFA, two months in detention)
Ngah Laurentine (250,000 FCFA, two and a half months in detention)
Rachelle Mayel (250,000 FCFA, two months in detention)
Elisabeth Mbida (100,000 FCFA, three weeks in detention)

These detentions have led to the deaths of at least two infants, whose remains are reportedly being stored in the hospital morgue.

A Systemic Healthcare Crisis

The incident underscores the deep-rooted problems in Cameroon’s healthcare system, which whistleblower N’zui Manto and medical professionals say is woefully underdeveloped even 64 years after the country gained independence.

Dr. Albert Ze, a leading Cameroonian physician, expressed his concerns in an open letter to President Paul Biya in 2022. He described the state of healthcare in Cameroon as dire, stating that:

“Health services are riddled with challenges. Preventative care is nearly nonexistent, and seeking medical treatment often becomes a harrowing ordeal.”

The absence of robust public healthcare and the prevalence of unpaid medical bills have left many citizens in a precarious situation, with patients effectively imprisoned in medical facilities.

Whistleblower’s Warning

N’zui Manto has called for urgent action, shedding light on a recurring issue in Cameroon’s hospitals. Detention of patients over unpaid bills is not an isolated incident but rather a systemic problem, exacerbated by economic inequality and inadequate social support.

A Call for Change

The revelations have sparked widespread condemnation and renewed calls for healthcare reform in Cameroon. Critics argue that holding patients hostage for unpaid bills is both unethical and inhumane, particularly when it involves vulnerable mothers and newborns.

For now, these women and their families remain in limbo, caught in a cycle of poverty and an underfunded healthcare system. Pressure is mounting on the government to address the situation and ensure that no more lives are lost in captivity due to an inability to pay.

The question remains: how much longer will Cameroon’s citizens have to endure a healthcare system described by experts as “a path of suffering”?