Fourth CASEC Medical Mission · Mission 4 of 12

2016 Medical Mission to Cameroon

Name: 2016 Medical Mission to Cameroon
Location: Cameroon

The 2016 CASEC medical mission took place in three communities.

West Region, Cameroon

Read the mission report Fund the next mission

A volunteer examining an elderly woman's eye while others wait

West Region, Cameroon

5,209 people served, free of charge

In numbers

The vital signs of one week of care

From the mission report and newsletters.

Vital signs CASEC Medical Mission 2016

People registered

5,209

Adult consultations: 3,351
Pediatric consultations: 1,159
Eye examinations: 1,126
Women screened for breast cancer: 756
Dental patients: 437
Cardiology consultations: 378
Medicine and supplies donated: $1M

The story

Fourth CASEC Medical Mission

The 2016 mission was the fourth the foundation had organized. It went to the West Region: Bana and Banka in the Haut-Nkam, and Bangangte in the neighboring Nde, where it also served the people of Bangoulap. Bana was chosen for its great healthcare needs and the poor financial condition of people in the area.

The team piloted the eMED Network. Over the Vsee video platform, which works in very low bandwidth, doctors in the USA joined consultations with patients and the attending practitioners at the sites. It was the beginning of the foundation's telemedicine program.

Thanks to a partnership with Prevent Blindness International, a dedicated ophthalmology team examined 1,126 people, with shorter waits than the year before. The foundation received medication and supplies worth about one million US dollars, and a portable dental chair donated by Brother's Brother Foundation traveled to every site.

Leftover medicine went to seventeen hospitals, clinics and organizations, to be given free to the poor under a physician's supervision: a ripple effect of the mission beyond its sites.

Where and how

The 3 sites we served

20 and 21 June

District Hospital of Bana

Bana, Haut-Nkam

The single health facility for more than 10,254 people in Bana and the surrounding communes.
22 June

Ad-Lucem Hospital

Banka
23 and 24 June

District Hospital of Bangangte

Bangangte, Nde, also serving Bangoulap

The clinics

11 clinics opened their doors

Each one free, for anyone who came.

2016 mission clinics

Free of charge

Breast, cervical and prostate cancer screening OPEN
Treatment of pre-cancerous cervical lesions OPEN
Surgery OPEN
Dental care including root canals OPEN
Diabetes and blood pressure screening OPEN
Cardiology OPEN
Eye examinations, reading glasses and sunglasses OPEN
HIV, Hepatitis B and malaria screening OPEN
Mosquito nets OPEN
General and pediatric consultations OPEN
Telemedicine (pilot) OPEN

Moments

What stays with us

Note 01

Telemedicine is born

Doctors in the USA consulted patients in Bana and Bangangte by two, three and four way video. The pilot grew into the MMPF eMed Network.

Note 02

Eyes, cared for

1,126 eye examinations, with reading glasses and UV-protecting sunglasses.

Note 03

Over 5,000 in one week

Over 1,000 more people than the year before.

This medical mission is by far the highlight of my year! I have volunteered many times in the US in health outreach programs but this time it was so different because of the response and the number of people who showed up.

Gladys Volunteer, 2016

Serving in the Mission has shown me how to be a more compassionate doctor.

Linda Volunteer, 2016

This past summer I went home to Cameroon for a volunteer Medical Mission trip with the Patcha Foundation. It was truly a life changing experience for me and the beginning of a career as an aspiring physician!

Germaine Volunteer, medical student, 2016

2016 was my second time volunteering with the Patcha Foundation. My experience from 2015 left me wanting more. I knew I had more to offer and I wanted to make a bigger difference.

Linda Volunteer, 2016

This medical mission is by far the highlight of my year!! I have volunteered many times in the US in health outreach programs but this time it was so different because of the response and the number of people who showed up.

Gladys Volunteer, triage, 2016

The Patcha Foundation CASEC Medical Missions affect people in tangible and positive ways. With each mission, there are always many stories to tell.

Melanie Volunteer, 2016

Photos

From the mission

14 photos. Select any to see it full size.

01The tents at the district hospital
02Arriving for care
03District Hospital
04Telemedicine with doctors in the USA
05Nursing care
06Surgery
07Pediatrics
08The 2016 team
09The eMED pilot
10The pharmacy
11Consultation
12Waiting in line
13Ophthalmology
14Dental care

With thanks

Partners on this mission

Americares Direct Relief Brother's Brother Foundation Kingsway Charities Lambe Cameroon Diabetic Foundation Zonetak Pharmacy Medicap Pharmacy National Vision Restoring Vision Prevent Blindness International ASCOVIME Community Dentistry On Wheels Malaria No More Cameroon Americares Direct Relief Brother's Brother Foundation Kingsway Charities Lambe Cameroon Diabetic Foundation Zonetak Pharmacy Medicap Pharmacy National Vision Restoring Vision Prevent Blindness International ASCOVIME Community Dentistry On Wheels Malaria No More Cameroon

Malaria No More Cameroon Community Dentistry On Wheels ASCOVIME Prevent Blindness International Restoring Vision National Vision Medicap Pharmacy Zonetak Pharmacy Lambe Cameroon Diabetic Foundation Kingsway Charities Brother's Brother Foundation Direct Relief Americares Malaria No More Cameroon Community Dentistry On Wheels ASCOVIME Prevent Blindness International Restoring Vision National Vision Medicap Pharmacy Zonetak Pharmacy Lambe Cameroon Diabetic Foundation Kingsway Charities Brother's Brother Foundation Direct Relief Americares

Together, we can do more

Help fund the next mission

Medicine, supplies and travel for the volunteers who give their time. Every service at every mission is free.

Donate Volunteer