History
The hospital was built ca. 1940 and was accorded the status of a Provincial Hospital in 1972. Since 2008, the Provinces of Cameroon officially have been called "Regions", and the "Provincial Hospitals" are now called "Regional Hospitals". The hospital's charter was to:
- Offer the best quality of care to patients.
- Offer pedagogic support to training institutions of health personnel in the country.
- Carry out operational research within the context of improving patient welfare.
- Co-operate and collaborate with other health institutions.
In the late 1990s and early 21st century, the hospital was suffering from major structural and organizational problems. By 2004, the attendance rate had dropped by 50%. Moreover, research revealed that there was a lack of knowledge among hospital staff. However, under the new directorship of Dr. Thompson Kinge (appointed 2005) the hospital has seen some major improvements. In July 2008, Nigerian Consul to the North West and South West provinces of Cameroon, Dr. Kenneth Nsor Nsor, awarded Kinge with an award for “recognition of outstanding meritorious services and good management.” Nsor praised Dr. Kinge for rehabilitating the hospital, and for providing quality care to the large Nigerian community in Limbe. Cameroonian journalist Aimé Potabo also credits Kinge for resuscitating the hospital, and praises the improvements of the last few years.
The hospital has received support from Cameroonians both within the country and abroad. Moreover, the Programme Germano-Camerounais de Santé has initiated training workshops in Cameroon, at least one of which (a workshop on sterilization) has been attended by technical staff from Limbe Provincial Hospital.
Like hospitals in many parts of the Third World, Limbe Regional Hospital still suffers from several problems including lack of certain hospital supplies and equipment such as ECG machines and incubators. The hospital administration is working hard to raise money in order to solve these problems, which negatively affect the population of the Southwest Province.
In 2008, a partnership agreement has been concluded between the Regional Hospital Limbe and the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Rostock in Germany. This partnership is financed by the "Gesellschaft für technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ)", the Society for Technical Cooperation, which belongs to the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation. It is part of the ESTHER network ("Ensemble pour une Solidarité Thérapeutique Hospitalier En Réseau") of the European Union. The goal of this partnership is improving care for patients with HIV and AIDS. Through this ongoing ESTHER cooperation, the laboratory has been upgraded (introduction of PCR technology), and physicians as well as laboratory technicians have received training in Rostock / Germany. In addition, joint Continuing Medical Education workshops have been conducted in Limbe. (see also: http://www.edennewspaper.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11509:451&catid=55:health&Itemid=166 )
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“Man watches his history on the screen with apathy and an occasional passing flicker of horror or indignation.”
—Conor Cruise O’Brien (b. 1917)