This Saturday, over 5,000 Cameroonians from all ten regions of the country participated in a competitive examination in Yaoundé, vying for one of the 920 available positions in the public health sector. The Minister of Public Service, Joseph LÉ, visited the site to oversee the process and ensure its integrity.
The competition is fierce, with approximately six candidates for each position. Only 920 candidates will be selected, meaning that over 4,000 people, or about 83% of the participants, will be unsuccessful despite years of study and preparation. The candidates are qualified professionals: general practitioners, pharmacists, dental surgeons, biomedical engineers, midwives, and nursing assistants.
The examinations took place at three sites in Yaoundé, the sole national examination center. Candidates were assessed on general knowledge and then on technical skills. Minister Joseph LÉ inspected the examination rooms, verified security measures, and guaranteed the anonymity of the papers, emphasizing the importance attached to this competition by the Head of State, Paul Biya, who wants only merit to be taken into account.
This recruitment addresses an urgent need for health personnel in Cameroon, particularly in rural areas and remote regions. The country suffers from a chronic shortage of health professionals, a situation that the government is trying to correct through a three-year plan.
These 920 recruitments are part of a larger plan to integrate 9,944 health personnel by 2028, as announced by President Biya in late 2024. The Minister highlighted the inter-ministerial coordination for the success of this process, involving the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Secondary Education. Despite these efforts, Cameroon continues to face a significant shortage of healthcare staff, estimated at 68,000 in 2024, according to the Minister of Public Health, Manaouda Malachie.
