32% of patients of Yaounde Emergency Centre have not paid their bills

With a primary mission to take patients unconditionally before any payment, the Yaounde Emergency Centre has changed the health sector of the country.

Three months after its opening, it had about 3000 patients. The statistics highlights the importance of the structure which was built as a result of cooperation between Cameroon and South Korea.

The only downside: more patients treated are not always able to pay their bills. According to Louis Joss Bitang, director of Yaounde Emergency Centre, 32% of patients have not paid their bills. "When a patient arrives on an emergency and has been stabilized, they are transferred to another hospital for the rest of the treatment. In 32% of cases of patients upon transfer have not paid their bills, they can not be detained either at the Centre for non-payment of bills. We transfer them all the same to other hospitals with their financial records accompanying them," he said on Thursday, October 22, 2015 during the 5pm news on CRTV.

The problem of recovery of funds later becomes the problem of the near-by Yaounde Central Hospital. At the moment, the Centre has no leverage on the taxpayer and patients rely only on the good faith of each other.

"32% of patients are unable to pay and do not even pay back. We want people to be aware that people need to contribute. If we want to sustain this center, it is required that people contribute to their health," said Joss Louis Bitang.

While waiting to find an effective way of getting patients to settle their bills, the Yaounde Emergency Centre shall pursue the objectives assigned to it: to support patient admitted, take care of the emergency and then request for cash afterwards. A big challenge.