Mary Health of Africa General Hospital

Inaugurated in the year 1969 by Mons. Julius Peter,  Chiara Lubich, founder of the Focolare Movement. and the then Fon Defang of Fontem.

To facilitate the treatment of its patients, Mary Health of Africa Hospital also provides ancillary services such as a clinical laboratory, pharmacy, radiology (xray), echogram and ultrasound), physical therapy and dental clinic.

The inpatient services include Maternity, Surgical, Medical, and Pediatric Wards. To facilitate the treatment of its patients, Mary Health of Africa Hospital also provides ancillary services such as a clinical laboratory, pharmacy, radiology (xray, echogram and ultrasound), physical therapy, acupuncture and dental clinic.

The hospital has expanded throughout these years with an outpatient dispensary which also includes a government-approved treatment center on HIV and AIDS. It also carries out community-based programs including HIV and AIDS Capacity building program in Secondary and Primary Schools in Lebialem Division South West Region of Cameroon.

The Hospital also has offsite dispensaries in Fonjumetaw and Besali, in order to provide medical services to the people there who otherwise do not have any possibility of direct medical help.

At present, Mary Health of Africa Hospital Fontem is run by approx. 110 mostly local staff coming from the Bangwa tribe, among whom are doctors and nurses, as a way to serve their own people and 10 missionaries of the Focolare Movement.

The Hospital has a bed capacity of almost 120 beds, including those provided at the dispensary in Fonjumetaw.

Many medical and non-medical visitors from within Cameroon, as well as from other countries, have come to volunteer their time, whether for a few weeks and even to a few years, to help serve the Bangwa people in this Hospital. Medical universities and colleges in Cameroon have also started sending their students here to spend a brief period of internship especially in the laboratory and in the wards.

Our statistics show for the year 2012: 12000 consultations, 300 major operations (like laparotomy, herniotomy, appendectomy, cleaning of burns etc.), 450 deliveries, 2250 in-patients of which 1400 were adults and 850 children. These are the statistics for MHA only.

Mary Health of Africa General Hospital Fontem has now approx. 120 beds. Most patients are severely sick. Aside from infectious diseases (such as malaria, typhoid fever, bronchopneumonia, diarrhoea, intestinal worms, tuberculosis and HIV-AIDS), malnutrition, epilepsy and high blood pressure, we are attending to lot of trauma patients and those with severe burns (particularily those who suffer from epileptic attacks and sometimes drop into the open fireplace).

Over the years our hospial expanded and the technical equipment was improved. What remained unchanged is the relationship to our patients which is based on the ideal of christian charity.