🇨🇭 August 1st – Swiss National Day: Reflections of a Gynaecologist Living in Cameroon

Today is August 1st – Swiss National Day.For the past three years, I’ve been living in Cameroon, where I opened my own obstetrics and gynaecology practice. This day always brings a hint of nostalgia… but above all, a deep sense of gratitude.

Switzerland means mountains, snow, chocolate, and trains that run on time.It’s also where I trained, where I worked in hospitals, where I learned rigour, organisation, and a form of medicine backed by solid resources.

But it is here, in Cameroon, that I have truly found my place.Here, I care for my patients – women who are incredibly strong, courageous, and generous. I am moved every day by their trust and resilience.

Two Realities: Medicine in Switzerland and Cameroon

In Switzerland, most women have health insurance. Preventive care is common – sometimes even excessive: pap smears, ultrasounds, hormone panels...Here, the opposite is often true. Women come for consultations late, sometimes too late – when the pain becomes unbearable or when the desire to conceive remains unfulfilled. I see many cases of fibroids, secondary infertility, and avoidable complications.

Every test has a cost – sometimes a heavy one. That’s why I do my best to recommend only what is truly necessary, to avoid unnecessary expenses, and to remain transparent.

I am also concerned about practices driven by financial incentives – the well-known "kickbacks" – that encourage unnecessary procedures. That is not my vision of medicine.

Childbirth: Between Cultural Expectations and Respect for the Body

Another topic that touches me deeply is childbirth.

In Cameroon, there is immense social pressure on women to give birth vaginally at all costs. People around them say: “Walk more, have sex, take Spasfon…” – even when it’s neither indicated nor helpful.

I firmly believe that nature knows how to give birth – when respected.But I’m also grateful that caesarean sections exist: they are sometimes essential, even life-saving. In Switzerland, this decision is often approached more calmly and without judgment. I wish that every woman here could experience childbirth without fear – in a way that honours her choice and her safety.

Traditional Medicine: Value and Caution

Many of my patients first seek help from traditional healers. I respect ancestral knowledge – some plants undeniably have therapeutic value. But I worry when treatments delay proper care or worsen a health condition.

I dream of a more open dialogue between modern and traditional medicine. A sincere collaboration, centred on the woman – not on the ego of the caregiver.

A Heart Full of Gratitude

On this August 1st, I think of my family in Switzerland, of bonfires, paper lanterns, and alpine landscapes.But most of all, I think of what this country – Cameroon – has given me.

Thanks to you – my patients, colleagues, and partners – I feel useful, alive, and committed.

I am proud to be one of those who strive every day to improve care, even with limited means.

Thank you for your trust. Thank you for your strength. Thank you for your humanity.

Dr Sandra Yene Amougui

Yaoundé, August 1st