Cameroon

Wed, Nov 8th 2023 at 12:40 pm - 2:00 pm

Dr Hamish Tait told of his experiences in Cameroon

Club members please log in for more information.

Member of the Rotary Club, Dr Hamish Tait, spoke about his 2-year voluntary stay with his wife Anne in the extreme north region of Cameroon in 2007/8. They chose the French-speaking region because Anne has a degree in languages and Hamish felt he could get by. Anne worked to develop 4 primary schools in different villages, especially succeeding in recruiting girls. She was able to help build a new classroom at one school. A medical doctor, Hamish worked at L’Hôpital de Zidim, a general hospital providing all the services, including for patients with tuberculosis, and victims of HIV/AIDS, these latter often regarded with superstition. He told of one woman who had been infected by her husband, who then divorced her and turned her out to die. Fortunately, the team was able to treat her successfully. The hospital didn’t operate an appointments system, patients just turning up as needed. For the duration of the two years there was only one other doctor to share the duties, and they took it in turns to be on call for 24 hours. There were monthly visits to the regional capital, Maroua, 40 miles away, to present and discuss those diagnosed with AIDS, so that the local committee could register such patients for free treatment, and to collect medicines. In 2011, and 2013 Hamish and Anne paid another visit, but to Gamboura, near the border with Nigeria, to inspect seven boreholes for drinking water. Unfortunately, extreme poverty in the region had resulted in the neglect of necessary maintenance, with two of the wells already unusable. Additionally, the frequent arrival of Boko Haram terrorists had destabilised the region. Dr Tait ended his talk rather pessimistically, mentioning China’s increasing interest, as well as the corruption endemic in the highest echelons.