Making a way for the willing
Posted: November 5, 2009
KCOM grad builds hospital, fulfills promise to people of Cameroon
Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Or, in the case of The World Hospital, one KCOM alumnus is making a way for the willing. Located in the mountainous landscape of Bamenda, Cameroon, this $4.2-million hospital is expected to serve more than 18 million impoverished people with fewer than 3,000 physicians.
Extreme poverty is a way of life for the people of Cameroon, Africa. Thatch roofed huts are home to large families who live off the land and sell produce at faraway markets. Here, the aver- age life expectancy is 45 years, and one-third of all pregnant women die giving birth. Healthcare is simply not available, and residents often die from diseases and illnesses that could be prevented.
That is, until Marinus Ndikum, D.O., ’97, thought up The World Hospital, which not only will provide basic care, but also specialized healthcare services including dentistry, podiatry, tropical medicine, and more to the Northwest Province where before there were no adequate medical facilities or doctors.
A model hospital
At its completion next year, The World Hospital will consist of 200 patient beds, an emergency department (the only one in the country), an imaging department, OB/GYN ward, operating suite, intensive care unit, pharmacy, general ward, doctor offices, chapel, restaurant, library, conference rooms, a fitness room, apartments for visiting volunteers, and satellite centers.
Founded by Dr. Ndikum, The World Hospital is a 501c3 non-profit organization incorporated in Delaware. Its primary mission is to build and staff modern hospitals in Third World countries. Dr. Ndikum hopes others will replicate the “model hospital” in Bamenda in other impoverished communities throughout the world. “It will be the first of its kind in Third World countries, especially in the type and available service to the community,” Dr. Ndikum says.
Because it is uncommon for the people of Cameroon to have medical insurance, Dr. Ndikum estimates that 60 percent of the hospital’s services will be free to patients while 40 percent of the population will be able to pay for medical care when it becomes available.
The hospital will operate with nearly 80 percent of its doctors as volunteers and 20 percent on full-time paid positions. The ancillary staff is expected to be 100 
percent paid positions. The organization has been accepting volunteer applications for the last year, and Dr. Ndikum says that volunteers are excited to move forward.
“Everybody is welcome to participate in The World Hospital,” says Dr. Ndikum. “This is a good channel where ATSU and the osteopathic community can promote osteopathic medicine and extend its medical services internationally.”
Personal connections
Dr. Ndikum has experienced firsthand how inadequate healthcare adversely affects the lives of millions who are powerless to make a change. Growing up in Cameroon, Dr. Ndikum remembers that an unlicensed doctor nearly took his young life while incorrectly performing a routine operation. Many of his friends, family, and classmates died before they were 30 years old.
“My personal experiences and my observations of this problem worldwide contributed to my desire to intervene to develop adequate healthcare that can help prevent some of the deaths that occur in Third World countries every day,” Dr. Ndikum says. “I can feel their pain, their desperation, and their cries for help. It is impossible not to be affected by my memories and this knowledge.”
Fulfilling his pledge
When he graduated from Sacred Heart Mission High School in Bamenda, Dr. Ndikum went door-to-door soliciting a sponsorship that would pay his way to America. He eventually found one who agreed to match any money he raised, and with $3,000 of his mother’s life savings he boarded a plane to the United States.
Dr. Ndikum worked many odd jobs and borrowed money to pay his way through college at Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo. (’92), and through medical school at KCOM, and eventually completed his neuroradiology internship in 2003 at Drexel University in Philadelphia. From this platform he was able to garner the support of colleagues, community members, friends, and relatives to create The World Hospital to fulfill his pledge to help the people of Cameroon.
“The World Hospital can help thousands of people to have a better quality of life by helping to prevent and treat disease and illness,” says Dr. Ndikum. “I hope to see The World Hospital develop into a real universal healthcare provider for the poor, but hopeful, people in the developing world.”
Hope, determination, and faith
Construction on this modern, three-story medical facility began in late 2007, and the first two floors are expected to be ready for basic services in late 2009. “I tele-supervise every day, and receive photo updates every week,” says Dr. Ndikum. “Since my last visit to Africa, the speed of the work has doubled.”
With the doors of The World Hospital set to open soon, Dr. Ndikum acknowledges that there are still challenges remaining. He says his biggest challenge is dealing with the problems associated with Third World countries, such as corruption. Also, donations and financial support have been somewhat difficult to obtain because The World Hospital is built on a new healthcare model.
To date, approximately $240,000, as well as building materials and water supply, has been donated by Med Image Systems, Global Megapower, Akum Welfare Association, and Dr. Ndikum himself.
“$4.2 million will create the modern hospital that I dream of, but only a fraction of it is needed to jump start the project,” he explains. “I reflect back to 1986 when I was homeless in the streets of Cameroon and dreaming of coming to America. It was practically impossible at the time, but miracles occurred, and I am here today. History can repeat itself, and I am optimistic that The World Hospital can achieve its dream for Third World countries.
“Hope, determination, and faith are the factors driving the project at the moment,” Dr. Ndikum says. “The challenges I encounter every day and the dream of success ahead keeps me thinking and working harder all the time, especially when I see light at the end of the tunnel.”