One of Cameroon’s most respected medical doctors has officially taken over as Director of the Mankon District Hospital, a move health officials and residents say could transform healthcare delivery in the Northwest Region.
Dr. Dingana Terence, 40, was installed on Tuesday, August 19, 2026 in a ceremony attended by the Northwest Regional Delegate of Public Health, hospital staff, and family members.
He arrives from the Tubah District Hospital, where he spent more than 7 years turning around a struggling facility.
From “no patients” to 70 births a month
When Dr. Dingana assumed leadership at Tubah, monthly deliveries were in single digits.
He leaves with the hospital recording over 70 births every month.
“With all sincerity, I have mixed feelings because leaving the people you have worked with for over 7 years, you must have mixed feelings,” Dr. Dingana told TEBECK TV after the handover.
“As far as work is concerned, leaving the Tubah District Hospital to the Mankon District Hospital is like day and night,” he said. “But I console myself by saying that I started work at Tubah where there were no patients. In fact, I think the situation in Tubah was worse than what I’m meeting in Mankon. That motivated me. That gives me the zeal to believe in myself that I can still pull that population like I managed to do in Tubah.”
Known for being both humble and results-driven, Dr. Dingana has built a reputation: wherever he works, the health facility changes.
High expectations in Mankon
The people of Mankon and its environs welcomed the appointment with optimism. Many said they will no longer travel outside the community for care.
“We have always heard his story,” one resident said. “With his coming, we believe Mankon will be different.” Says Melanie Ndefru, resident of Mankon.
The hospital itself is entering a new era. The Northwest Regional Assembly recently completed a “magnificent edifice”* and equipped the facility with new equipment worth over 800 million FCFA.
Dr. Dingana made his mission clear to staff on day one.
“I’m not coming to Mankon to joke,” he told the medical team. “We must be ready to get to work.”
He revealed he had considered turning down the appointment to further his studies, but was persuaded by calls from Mankon elites and public health collaborators.
“They asked me to come and save lives in Mankon,” he said.
A test for Northwest health
Health analysts view Dr. Dingana’s transfer as a strategic deployment by the Ministry of Public Health to strengthen district hospitals ahead of growing demand.
With new infrastructure in place and one of the region’s most effective hospital managers now in charge, all eyes will be on Mankon District Hospital in the coming months.
For Dr. Dingana, the task is familiar: start from low, build trust, and deliver.
If Tubah is any indication, Mankon may be about to see the same turnaround.
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