After seven years of paralysis caused by socio-political crisis, the construction of the Buea Regional Hospital Center (CHR) is entering its revival phase.

Validated technical tests have confirmed the structural soundness of the existing buildings, removing the main technical obstacle to the continuation of the project.

Renewed collaboration between the Ministry of Public Health and the winniing contractor aims to make this hospital a reference hub for specialized health care services in the South-West Region.

Seven years. Seven years during which cranes stood still, concrete works remained unfinished, and the hopes of an entire region were left hanging. The construction of the Buea CHR, a principal flagship project of the Three-year National Emergency Plan, had become a painful symbol of a delayed healthcare ambition. Today however, on the hills overlooking the South-West Region, a new momentum is taking shape. A firm and determined ministerial visit has marked the effective resumption of works, bringing an end to an interminable wait for local populations.

It was the Minister of Public Health, Dr. Manaouda Malachie, who injected this new energy on the project. On the future hospital’s site, his message was unequivocal : « we must  ensure that the work resumes quickly». This directive reflects a political will to break with years of stagnation attributed to the socio-political crisis that caused the disruption of the region. Already, workers are back on the working site, breathing life into this major strategic construction project.

Technical guarantees and renewed commitment

One of the key challenges to this project was the state and the infrastructure after seven years of neglect. To reassure everyone, the firm in charge of the construction has presented results of comprehensive technical tests, attesting the quality and the solidity of existing structures. These verifications dispelled all the doubts and paved the way for a smooth continuation of works. Faced to the importance of this project aimed at diminishing the pressure on the already existing health structures and providing reference level specialized care, the Minister reaffirmed the total engagement of his department.

The RHC of Buea, registered amongst the eight hospitals of the Emergency Plan, must be completed in order to strengthen healthcare resilience in the South-West Region.

An announced timeline : 18 montshs for the completion of the project

On the contractor’s side, satisfaction is palpable. Its managing directior, Wissam Dakour, expressed encouragement at the renewed momentum and praised the quality of dialogue with the Ministry of Public Health. More precisely, the company engaged itself in delivering  the construction of the infrastructure within 18 months. If this deadline is respected, it will mark a remarkable accomplishment for a project which has been stand still since 2017.

Toward a benchmark  healthcare hub

This assessment visit has laid the bases of a reinforced collaboration between the project owner and the constructors. Both parties have expressed a mutual determination to see this project through its completion. Not just a hospital lies on the horizon : a modern health care hub designed to transform the provision of medical service in the Fako department and beyond. The revival of the RHC of Buea is hence percieved as a tangible sign of return to normalcy and renewed priotization of the fundamental right to health for the people of the South-West Region.

Translated by Ornéla ZANGA