-Rev. Doctor David Njayo Njemo, Superintendent Emeritus of the Full Gospel Mission Schools in Cameroon.
I worked with the Full Gospel Mission for a number of years and when the mission wanted me to retire, it came to mind that I have always had the desire to contribute in the creation of holistic human beings. I should state here that I have not retired from evangelism. I thought of what form this could take and concluded that it should be a school for the training of medical personnel. With regards to what prompted me to do this, it stems back to my family in which my mother had all boys and only one girl. This single girl when she became big died as a result of medical carelessness. She got sick and was taken to the hospital where she died of a boil. She was taken there by the husband but was later abandoned because the money they had was not up to the deposit that was demanded for treatment. She lay there for a number of days and the boil was eating her up. At the time I was in Bamenda, far away from them. Before I learnt of what was happening she was already in comma and when I got there she died shortly afterwards. I think people can save lives if they act compassionately. This occurred in a renowned hospital. I only do not want to mention the name here. I have always been talking to the teachers that they should put it in the head of students that they should practice the medical profession as a vocation.
These cases of carelessness on the part of hospitals seem to abound in Cameroon. There was the case of Monique Koumateke who died at the La Quantainie Hospital in Douala and more recently, the case at the hope clinic in Kumba. How are you contributing towards making the situation better?
Our institute is still very young for me to come to any conclusion on what we are doing towards making the situation better. We are doing our best in the school and you can see that the school is already fenced. This gives you an idea of how disciplined we want the children leaving here should be. The reports we’ve had from people working in hospitals where these children go on internship are very positive. People have given very glowing comments on how children from this school behave during internships in the various hospitals where we send them. I am very happy and I think we are trying. Our teachers are putting in all their best.
How is RAPHA institute prepared from the point of view of infrastructure?
We have started the institute here at Buea Road in Kumba. We started in a modest structure but as time passed on we built the present storey building that houses the establishment. In the nearest future we will take the institution elsewhere with larger land. We already have land not too far from here where we think we will carry the institution to but for now, we think it will be difficult for us to encourage students to go to a place which is about 10 Kilometers from here. The land is enough and just located near here at Bombe waiting to be used when the time comes. Thinking of other areas like the teaching staff, we are trying by all means to get qualified staff. For now, our least qualified staff has a first degree. Some will have PhD degrees soon. Most of them including our Secretary have a Master Degree just like the Director.
On the other hand, we have got some partners and right now one partner is already planting something known as the school of technology. The partner who is based in Switzerland is carrying out some feasibility studies. We are trying hard to strengthen our foundation.
I would want to believe that one of your long term dreams is a hospital.
(Laughs) At the moment, we have two small health centers which are struggling to come up. If not for bottlenecks with the administration, the health center in Douala should have already grown very well. We are still struggling for all the approvals to pass through. There is also another small one that we are struggling to have here. So as for hospitals, we will like to have places of practice for our students. These hospitals should serve as places where they can really practice and where people can go and see what they are doing.
You certainly have a message for your titular ministries and the public generally..
We want to give our utmost service to the society. We want to treat man holistically. At RAPHA Higher Institute of Health Kumba, we want to treat body soul and spirit of man. When you come here in the morning, you think you are in a church since you here people singing and praying. We have Muslims here as well and everybody belongs and it is like family. That is what we are trying to do here and I will be more satisfied when the story has gone out and people are beginning to understand the excellent thing being done here.
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