The foundation of the Hospitaller Order in Cameroon was realized by the Audalusian Province when in 1968, Late H.E Nzo Ekanghaki went to Spain (Ciempozuelos) to plead with the Late Provincial superior Br.Fernando Donnaire Palma to send his brothers to come and settle in Nguti and to take over a hospital under construction of the capacity of 150 beds divided as follow: Paediatric unit 50 beds; Male unit 50 beds; Female unit 50 beds. After his visit, two brothers Manuel Maria Rico and Francisco Arduz came to see the place.
A protocol agreement was signed between Ad Lucem (the initial proprietor) and the brothers of Saint John of God “They themselves requested and we accepted to cede the hospital completely to them. The relation between them and Ad Lucem will only be that of normal fraternal cooperation.” (18th March, 1968). The hospital was officially opened on the 8th of March 1970 during the feast day of Saint John of God. The mission of the hospital and the Brothers were to give holistic care to the patients, the poor and the needy. The founding fathers who established St John of God Hospital Nguti as a truamatology and orthopedic hospital, the only one of it kind in the country at that time had a far reaching vision. That vision was two full : firstly that of Evangelization and secondly implanting the seed of the Charism of the hospitality. The hospital is situated in Nguti in the South West region of Cameroon in the diocese of Mamfe formly of Buea. The foundation of the hospital in this area was greeted with satisfaction by all. Work actually begun in 1968 but the canonical erection was in 1972.
That vision made it possible for patient to flock to flock the hospital from all part of the country, and beyond, irrespective of the road network that was in worse condition than today for treatment.
For the past years the hospital has been a bone a contention as to it continue existence. Many studies and commission of inquiries have been set up to investigate and recommend the way forward.
In June 2015 indigenous Cameroonian Brothers meeting at Batibo decided to close down pay-off and pay-off the workers and close down the services while reflecting on the way forward. This was due to an Unfortunate financial crises in the hospital that started in 2008. The hospital has made Nguti well known in the national and international arena. For the Cameroonian professed Brothers Nguti is our heritage, Nguti is their root. The writing of Cameroonian Hospitaller history without Nguti would be dead and meaningless.
The Batibo Health centre was born from the hospital in Nguti. Batibo is a town in the North West Region of Cameroon, Archdiocese of Bamenda. In 1983, the Brothers were invited to the Archdiocese of Bamenda by Archbishop Paul Verdzekov to extend their healing ministry to the people of Bamenda archdiocese.
The community in Nguti quickly arranged and dispatch Bro Jose Martinez (Postulant Master) and some junior brothers to Batibo. On arrival, Bro Jose Martinez and some junior brothers stayed at Ekan quarters in Batibo and started a health centre known today as the St John of God Integrated Health Centre. the Batbo Centre was created in 1984.The St. John of God Health Centre In Batibo has a bad capacity of 75beds. Today our outreach programmes in Batibo are taking us to Mbengok, Koano and most recently moving towards Efah, Elum etc.
Batibo Village is southwest of Bamenda in the northwest region of Cameroon, along the Bamenda - Mamfe road; some 40 kilometers from the City of Bamenda. It is located between latitudes 575 and 590 north of the equator, longitudes 975 east of the Greenwich meridian and at the transition between the equatorial forest in the south and the savannah to the north.
Batibo is located along the Trans-African Highway, 27 miles west of Bamenda and about 100 miles east of Nigeria. Batibo is the economic, social, political and cultural heartbeat of Moghamo as well as the Greater Widikum tribe. Batibo, formerly referred to as Aghwi, is home to a people including farmers, traders, and craftsmen.
In 2011, the St John of God health services have been extended to the Archdiocese of Douala under the invitation of Christian Cardinal Tumi. The health services are located at Boko and Yassa villages and they offer general and orthopaedics services.
Finally, the St John of God health services in Cameroon are dealing not only on general health issues but particularly on orthopedics or bone cases.
