CBM Project Manager for Private Donors Appraises CCCP Strides in Clubfoot Treatment
The Project Manager (PM) of Private Donors for international programmes from the Chistofell Blinden Mission (CBM) Germany and funder of Cameroon Clubfoot Care Project (CCCP) has applauded the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services (CBCHS) for effectively treating children with Clubfoot in some regions of Cameroon using the ponseti technique. Clara Gaztelu was speaking with the CCCP coordination staff in Yaounde during her first visit to Cameroon with the objective of having a better understanding of how CCCP and other CBM Germany funded projects in Cameroon are being implemented.
Speaking at the meeting on March 6, 2018 at the CBM Country Office in Yaoundé, the Clinical Supervisor of the CCCP, Dr. Henry Ndasi in an overview of the CBCHS, highlighted all its facilities and CCCP activities. He noted that in the past clubfoot was formally treated in Mbingo Baptist Hospital (MBH) using different methods, but with the coming of the project and use of the ponseti method which is the gold standard method of treatment, close to 700 children have been treated of clubfoot. Dr. Ndasi explained the four stages of the ponseti method and noted challenges like resistance by some reference hospitals to adopt the ponseti method, inadequacy of medical personnel to cover the expanding number of clinics as some of the challenges that the project is facing. On an ending note, he expressed the need for approval of a third phase for some of these challenges to be overcome.
Cameroon Clubfoot Care Project (CCCP) Project Officer, Tina Ashiyo presented an overview of the CCCP in which she outlined some factors that led to initiation of the Project in the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services (CBCHS). Tina noted the provision of clubfoot treatment services in 19 Government, Catholic, Baptist and Presbyterian Health facilities in 7 regions of Cameroon, the training of 117 health providers on the ponseti method as some of the major outcomes of the project since 2014. The Project Officer also shared some of the reflections about the next phase of the project which were deliberated upon recently by the clubfoot management team during a planning meeting for the next phase.
On her part, the CCCP Finance Officer, Mrs. Ndong Irene did a presentation on financial management in the Project and the CBC which gave Clara a better understanding on how Clubfoot funds are being managed within the broader CBC financial system. All the three speakers appreciated CBM for funding the Projects.
The team paid a visit to Etoug Eebe Baptist Hospital Yaounde (EBHY) and PROMHANDICAM which are treatment centers of the CCCP. In these places, Clara had discussions with 5 parents of children with clubfoot currently undergoing treatment. The parents shared with her how they discovered that their children had clubfoot, the difficulties they face and how effective the treatment has been. According to Clara, the success stories of the parents, the results obtained in the treatment, the commitment of the parents as well as the Physiotherapy staff were praiseworthy. The head of the two centers (EBHY and PROMHANDICAM) shared their challenges amongst which is long distances covered by some parents, making it difficult for follow ups to be effectively done.
