Moungo Division: Minister hails investment of Order of Malta in St Jean Hospital Njombe.

The minister was accompanied during the visit by the new Grand Hospitaller of the Order of Malta, Dr Josef Dieter Blotz. This was on the sidelines of the official’s first trip to Africa since his admission into the Order.

The Ambassador of the Order of Malta to Cameroon, H.E Jean Christophe Heidsiek, and the President of the Order of Malta France, as well as administrative authorities, were also part of the visit. 

The minister and his guest during the visit reviewed the clinical and medical-technical services and its recently modernized infrastructure. 

According to the minister, the aim of the mission was to assess the progress of projects resulting from cooperation between the Ministry of Public Health and the Order of Malta, with a view to improving the quality and humanisation of healthcare provision.

Speaking during the visit, Minister Manaouda hailed the Order for the transformation of the health centre. Minister Manaouda equally hailed the medical staff, while reaffirming their status as “brave soldiers of health”.

He noted that the initiative is in line with the national humanitarian vision and reinforces the social actions of the First Lady, Chantal Biya, who consistently supports health initiatives serving vulnerable populations, which is in perfect synergy with the humanitarian mission of the President of the Republic, Paul Biya.

The Grand Hospitaller, Dr Blotz, on his part expressed his deep gratitude to healthcare professionals, who he hailed as true everyday heroes. 

The Order of Malta and the Ministry of Public Health, he said, illustrate a successful model of public-private humanitarian partnership, faithful to the objectives of transforming the country’s health system. 

The visit, he noted, reaffirms the common desire to build a more efficient, more humane, and resolutely forward-looking health system.

Thanks to the cooperation with the Ministry of Public Health, the Saint Jean de Malte Hospital, now boast of a laboratory which can performs 6,500 tests per year, marking a significant improvement in diagnostic capabilities. 

The emergency department on its part receives over 7,000 patients yearly, mainly wards that receives traffic accidents or fight victims has been given a facelift. 

In terms of maternal health, the house now brags of 1,200 births are performed each year, with 300 new-borns cared for after delivery.

According to officials, cooperation and commitment between the ministry and the Order, could be seen notably through: a subsidy of 500 million FCFA for the construction of a boarding school and related services; the annual reception of 50 medical interns from the universities of Douala and Bangangté; the expansion of the Mother and Child Centre and support for the fight against paediatric cancer through the Chantal Biya Foundation and the donations of equipment, medicines, and logistical support to several health facilities throughout Cameroon.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3472 of Friday June 13, 2025