The First Lady of Cameroon, Chantal Biya, has again expressed compassion to those in need. This was glaring yesterday, December 5, 2019 at the premises of the Galim District Hospital in the Bamboutous Division of the West Region, when scores of inhabitants in the locality gathered to witness the largesse of Mrs Chantal Biya. Her humanitarian association, the Circle of Friends of Cameroon, CERAC, officially handed over the Galim District Hospital which they renovated and equipped. During the ceremony, the jubilant crowd equally witnessed the donation of gifts to over 20 health facilities, 51 rural women associations, youths and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Bamboutous Division. The Personal Representative of the First Lady, Veronique Nganou Djoumessi, presided at the event in the presence of several government Ministers, the Governor of the West Region, Awa Fonka Augustine and other local authorities. Dr Veronique Nganou Djoumessi said when the First Lady, who is also UNESCO’s Goodwill Ambassador, heard about the 59- year-old Galim District Hospital, which was at an advanced stage of dilapidation, she quickly understood an emergency treatment was needed for the hospital which she considered ‘very sick’. As such, Mrs Biya decided to treat the root of the problem, which was not just to revamp the different available hospital rooms, but also to build new structures. That is how CERAC began the rehabilitation process of the Galim District Hospital which today is known as Galim New- Look District Hospital with new buildings, toilets, new water and electricity systems.

The Personal Representative of the First Lady said CERAC did not just end at building the hospital but also went ahead to furnish it with assorted hospital tools. To further improve the provision of healthcare to the people of the Bamboutous Division, CERAC and her Founding President went ahead to offer hospital equipment to some 23 health centres in the area. Dr Veronique Nganou Djoumessi hoped that the authorities will use the cherished gifts for the wellbeing of the general population.

Given that over 5,000 IDPs have found refuge in the Bamboutous Division, CERAC also offered food stuffs and didactic materials to some 700 IDPs from the North West and South West in the locality. The Personal Representative of the First Lady noted that it was important to reinforce solidarity actions towards IDPs. The objective of CERAC, she underlined, was to comfort this group of people who have been forced to abandon their homes due to crisis in their regions. She reiterated that CERAC cannot pretend to solve the human crisis alone. As such, she called on everyone to remain vigilant and be involved when the need arises. The rural women and other female groups could not hide their joy of receiving modern agricultural goods from CERAC.