Summary

An internship is any carefully monitored work or service experience in which a student has intentional learning goals and reflects actively on what she or he is learning throughout the experience. We completed our internship at the regional delegation of Public health in the Littoral Region from March 18th to April 29th 2015. The objective of the internship was to enable public health students acquire practical experience in the execution and management of public health activities.

The activities we carried out include field supervision and training of the national immunization days (NIDs) against Poliomyelitis, participation in the evaluation meetings of the NIDs, participation in weekly coordination  meetings at the region, participation in the sensitization meeting of medical doctors on the free malaria therapy on the treatment of severe malaria on the under five, above five years and pregnant women in order to fight against malaria, visiting of the various units of the delegation and discussing their various functions and activities with the chiefs of units, participated in a meeting for the revision of health sectoral strategy in the Littoral Region in order to better promote health in Cameroon and the region.

To conclusion, the internship was a good experience especially as most staff in the region collaborated with the interns and helped them in explaining how various activities are carried out in the various units in the delegation. We recommend that the duration of internship be increased to two or three months so that interns can have an opportunity to participate actively in all activities of the delegation.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

According to the random house dictionary, internship is defined as any official or formal programme to provide practical experience for beginners in an occupation or profession [1].

Four second year master students from the department of public health and hygiene from the faculty of health sciences of the University of Buea actually carried out a six week intensive public health practicum at the regional delegation of public health Littoral from March 18th to April 29th 2015.

The interns were: Nkenyi Rene Nke, Ninyinda Muluh, Atabonkeng Elizabeth and Munji Laura. The internship began by the presentation of the document for internship from the department of public health University of Buea to the regional Delegate of Public health for Littoral region Dr Yamba Beyas Martin on the 18th March 2015 that he quickly channeled it to his secretary to produce us a note of service which will authorize the interns to carry out their field study.

After we received the note, the interns were then handed over to Dr Ekoum Joseph and Dr Dissak Delon who are in charge of students on internship at the regional delegation of the Littoral region. Dr Dissak in particular briefed us on the general functioning of the regional health delegation and the various programmes and activities carried out. Seeing our objectives she drew up a rotatory schedule for the MPH students on internship which was validated by the regional delegate of Public Health.

1.2 Objectives of the internship

The department of public health set forth the following objectives to be attained by all MPH students on field placement in any selected institution around the country.

1)To acquire practical experience in the execution and management of public health activities in selected locations in Cameroon.

2)To understand the organization of the institution and describe the role of each of its components.

3)Identify the on-going public health project/programmes being implemented by the institution.

4)Participate in the daily functioning of the institution.

5)To work with the institutional staffs to achieve the institution’s short term objectives.

Realizing that the internship period was short, we also decided to add some three objectives to the once set by the department as follows:

6)To find out the organizational structure of the regional delegation and all its units.

7)To find out the various funders of specific projects at the delegation and the criteria or terms for funding such projects and

8)To go round all units of the delegation and find out their various activities if participation in the activities was not feasible.

2.1. Location

The internship was completed at the regional delegation of public health Littoral Region. This delegation is located at Bonanjo precisely at Rue d’Hopital. The delegation is very accessible and also has a good infrastructure with necessary equipment and personnel. It is sub-divided into three different sections such as a the administrative building (where the Regional Delegate is), the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) section attached with a health center and the international vaccination section and with several sub-units which are described in detail below and is headed by a regional delegate who is a medical doctor (Dr Yamba Beyas Martin).

Assisted by a medical doctor known as the chief brigade (Dr Ekoum Joseph), the second in command at the delegation in the absence of the delegate. All the units of this delegation have unit heads with secretaries and other staff who work together to accomplish various tasks of the units and the units are accountable to present a weekly report in a coordination meeting every Monday at the delegation to the hearing of the Delegate for an immediate correction if due.

This delegation functions in the deployment of personnel to health facilities in the region, controlling and coordinating of all the activities of the twenty four health districts and fifty seven health areas with about three thousand six hundred personnel found in the Littoral region excluding referral hospital like Laquintinie hospital and general hospital Douala.

They also collaborate and supervise the activities of NGOs and other foreign health partners or organizations working in the Region. Weekly reports of health activities in this region, epidemics if any from health areas and districts are received at the delegation every Tuesday at noon and processed before being forwarded to the ministry and feedbacks are given to the different health districts.

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