Melissa Essomba, candidate for the general secondary education baccalaureate exam, died in a public health facility last Tuesday. The public is outraged to denounce the lack of humanity that led to the tragedy and calls for sanctions.
The shockwave is spreading through public opinion. Melissa Essomba, a baccalaureate candidate, lost her life on May 26, 2026, under circumstances that provoke anger. Victim of a malaise at the examination center of the Nkolndongo high school, her classmates found a means of transport to urgently take her to a health facility. The young pregnant woman was transported to the Nkolndongo district hospital for care.
Read more Cameroon: disappointed by Issa Tchiroma Bakary, Calixthe Beyala distances herself
Upon arrival at the emergency room, she was asked to pay a deposit of 8000 francs. She only had 2000 francs. She offered her mobile phone as collateral. But the staff on duty did not accept it. She went home to find 6000 francs to complete the deposit. Back at the hospital and finally admitted, the young woman was in an even more worrying state, reports camer.be. She passed away just as the hospital was beginning treatment. A life broken, another potential life prevented from emerging in violation of emergency care directives in public hospitals. Hence the public outrage.
Some do not understand how in a hospital a pregnant woman, moreover a student who fainted, is “neglected and abandoned to her fate for a sum of 8,000 francs.” They believe the staff showed a “lack of humanity” while their initial training predisposes them to “save lives.”
Read more Budget 2026: the CUY is counting on a surplus of 6.8 billion to restart its major projects
Others, emphasizing repression, think that the hospital staff showed a “refusal to assist a person in danger,” exposing themselves to sanctions provided by Article 283 of the Penal Code applicable in Cameroon. This penalizes the offense of “failure to provide assistance.” They call for sanctions against the staff on duty and the health facility, as the right to life is guaranteed by the Constitution. They thus urge the authorities to open an administrative and judicial investigation to establish responsibilities.
Read more Congo: official opening of the annual AfDB meetings in Brazzaville
