By Mofor Samuel
The notion of hygiene and sanitation is much more of an illusion than a reality in most of our communities. In spite of all the noises made here and there on the improvement of personal and public hygiene, the situation is gradually but steadily moving from bad to worse.
The situation is such that that talking of a solution is a far- fetched dream. A high degree of orderly disorderliness is being manifested by individuals, families, socio- professional groups, the administration and companies at all levels and the community as a whole.
How does one explain the fact there is the persistence of environment – related diseases among the population despite the fact that most of these diseases can be easily prevented or are easily preventable? How can explain the fact that there is this acute shortage of health personnel particularly sanitary inspectors among others but emphasis is being laid on the training of medical and paramedical personnel? Worst still in the heat of the personnel crisis, government deploys people to work where they have little or no understanding of the assignment.
Sometimes, helpless in front of the situation, some of these persons openly say that they were not trained for that purpose. This shows that there is a lack of communication and understanding between policy makers, planners and the people. Or that those who take decisions are not square pegs in square holes.
Cameroon is a developing country and like every developing African country is not spared by the brunt of poverty. With the population not being able to afford for medical care, there is every reason to look for another alternative. This alternative must be one that would not make them to be dependent on medical care or curative medicine.
A much more holistic approach will be to inculcate the notion of preventive and promotional medicine among the Cameroonian population and communities. The training of technicians in this domain will be the first step that will go a long way to facilitate the task of improving the health status of the population particularly matters or issues related to environmental sanitation. Whether in houses, schools, offices, beaches, parks, traveling agencies, motor parks, markets etc, the state of hygiene and sanitation is far from being perfect. But then who is behind this imperfection? What accounts for this imperfection?
In a bid to attempt an answer to these questions, can we take a look at the way human waste is being disposed of in some public facilities? Most of our markets, offices, motor parks, traveling agencies, hospitals, beaches etc, do not have toilet facilities or if they have, it is much more of an eyesore . Either it is not being maintained or users do not use them properly thus forcing numerous others to devise not so very decent means to empty their bowels.
Drainage patterns, behind buildings, nearby bushes, behind stationary vehicles or just anywhere that one can relieve oneself of the body’s waste becomes fertile ground for urine and faeces. Woe betides anyone who unknowingly passes by as one is greeted by this pungent smell and ugly sight of urine or faeces. The truth is that most people rather than complain, would prefer “to discipline” their bowels until they get to their houses or a more convenient place.
Even those concerned, are often very indifferent to this state of affairs. Why are those concerned in the different establishments find it difficult to provide toilet to customers? Before issuing permit to function does the authorities take into consideration the comfort of the passengers?, looking at the specific case of traveling agencies. Why is it so difficult for councils to build toilets in markets and motor parks?
Above all, what makes it so difficult for councils to carry out routine checks of toilet facilities in private and public facilities-bars, traveling agencies, offices, beaches, markets and motor parks? For example it will help them to see how clean are the surroundings, do they have toilets at all, who clean them and how often?
Apparently one only needs to be hard pressed by the urge to empty one’s bowels in order to better appreciate the whole show- that is if one happens to find oneself in the market, motor park, traveling agency , office or any public facility.
Share this personal experience with this narrator. Having left Kribi very early in the morning for Douala, this commentator suddenly developed stomach upset along the way. In fact his bowels were rumbling and by the time he got to Douala the urge to empty his bowels became unbearable. Hard-pressed, he had to succumb to the pressure. Immediately he alighted from the bus, he headed to the office of the traveling agency and told the officer in charge about his problem. Luck was on his side as a nearby bar offered a payable toilet facility.
Once at the entrance, he paid a hundred francs only to be told that there was no toilet tissue, first inadequacy. The floor of the toilet was clean, there was no odour and one had to stoop to empty one’s bowels. The ceramic product of the toilet was kept clean but the tiles on the wall left much to be desired. Before I forget, the issue of no toilet tissue was ignored because the narrator had a pack of disposable handkerchief. Back to the tiles, they were brown with age of not being cleaned. A look at them at first sight will scare anyone.
The truth behind it all was that the soapy water used to clean the toilet’s floor often splashed and landed on the wall tiles with the cleaner failing to clean them as well. There were two full buckets of water at the disposal of the customer. One bucket was used to wash away all that could be washed away before using the toilet. The second bucket was used to flush the toilet proper.
Just imagine what could have happened to this commentator if there was no public toilet around? Therefore public toilets should be considered as a necessity and not as a far-fetched dream that is often very difficult if not impossible to realize.
As this commentator left the toilet, he called on the person in charge and reminded him on the need to clean the wall tiles as well. He went further to give the impression that he was a sanitary inspector which scared the young to the marrow. He told the young man that he did not come to scare him but to advise him on what needed to be done because any other sanitary or health officer would have brought him to book.
He concluded by telling the young man that he was rendering a commendable service to the public and that all he needed to do was to make the necessary adjustments to satisfy and meet up with the expectations of his customers but above all public hygiene.
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