Are health care facilities in Cameroon compatible with rational management of emergency patients?
The aim of this month-long cross sectional study was to evaluate the preparedness of health care institutions in Cameroon to provide rational management of emergency patients. During January 2002 a survey was carried out to list all health care institutions offering emergency care services and to determine their other departments and available equipment and staff. A total of 144 institutions with emergency care facilities were found including 12 central reference hospitals and 123 district hospitals equipped to provide primary emergency care. In relation to a population of 15 million inhabitants, the ratio was one reference hospital for 104180 inhabitants and one district hospital for 100,000 inhabitants. None of the services involved in emergency management had facilities for emergency treatment on an outpatient basis. Regarding hospital-based services, an emergency ward was available at the 12 central reference hospitals for a ratio of one ward for 1,250,000 inhabitants. This ratio w
