MICEI, CBM partnership: Lekie SDO launches project to develop inclusive eye health human resource.

Patrick Simou Kamsu was speaking Tuesday January 31, at the launch of the project which took place at the eye hospital located in Oback, Okola subdivision, Lekie division of the Centre region.
The partnership between Africa Eye Foundation’s Magrabi ICO Cameroon Eye Institute and the CBM on inclusive sub-specialty eye health human resource is said to last for three years.  
Speaking during the event, the Chief Executive Officer, CEO of MICEI, Dr Henry Nkumbe said the workshop celebrates the partnership between the two institutions. 
“It is going to help us improve on the training of eye health professionals. There is a big shortage in the training of qualified eye care professionals both in Cameroon and the sub-region,” Dr Nkumbe said when asked about the importance of the partnership project. 
He further elucidated that as part of the project, scholarships will be offered to eye care professionals from Cameroon and other countries to be trained in MICEI. 
“We will train ophthalmologist in eye surgeries, train ophthalmic nurses and technicians in the maintenance of biomedical equipment,” MICEI CEO said, adding that “CBM through this project is going to help us purchase some state-of-the-arts equipment to continue the provision of sight restoring surgeries to our patients”. 
In addition, he noted that CBM will also provide a vehicle to ease the organisation of free eye outreach campaigns across the country by the eye hospital.  
A high point of the ceremony was the cutting of a symbolic cake to mark CBM’s 50 presence in Cameroon. 
The Country Director of CBM, Julius Fon, explained that MICEI has been a long-term partner to CBM and they will continue with the frank collaboration.
“For long we have been working with MICEI but this time around, we identified a need which has to do with human resource development,” Fon said. 
He further mentioned that “We are investing 450,000 Euros for the next three years to support MICEI to develop sub-specialty trainings and also renew some technical areas like logistics and equipment to ensure that the programme runs smoothly”. 
The CBM country boss stressed that within the framework of the current three-year project, they hope to identify other programmes developed from areas of need.
“We are looking at a programme that will run for three years and during which we will identify other needs and develop new programmes to continue our work,” he stated. 

SDO praises work at MICEI 
The SDO for Lekie, during the occasion, praised the quality of eye care services at MICEI with far reaching impact especially within the jurisdiction.  
“I am happy with the works being done at this hospital but especially the constant search for the improvement of services,” he said, adding that “this hospital is not just important for the Lekie division, but for the entire country, the Central Africa sub-region and beyond that”.
He also mentioned that since the hospital was established in Oback, it has enabled the population to benefit from quality eye health services during free community outreach campaigns. 
“We have services here that can’t be found in other hospitals in the country and sub-region. So we are happy to have that privilege and more so that it is at an affordable rate,” the SDO added. 
It is worth noting that MICEI which commenced in 2012, was created by the Geneva-based, Africa Eye Foundation of Dr Akef El-Maghraby. 
It was officially commissioned on March 29, 2017 by the then Prime Minister, Philemon Yang, to serve as a centre of Ophthalmology comprehensive and sub-specialty care for all in need and as a training centre for ophthalmologists, ophthalmology sub-specialists and allied personnel.