In mid-March, at the Laquintinie Hospital in Douala, Rose Tacke tried a caesarean on one of her relatives to save the twins she was carrying. Her desperate gesture made the headlines all over the worldwid. Below is an exclusive testimony.

She has just one desire to do away with this “story.” Perhaps it is excessive optimism. But also an irrepressible desire to regain a foothold in the newspaper, two weeks after the sordid news that was revealed to the world.

On March 12, Rose Tacke, 36, attempted a caesarean on her pregnant aunt, in front of the maternity of Laquintinie Hospital in Douala. She swears she wanted to save the twins but could be prosecuted for desecration of a corpse (her aunt had just died when Rose performed the act), an offence punishable by two years in prison.

Now she recluse at home, in the popular district of Akwa, with her face hidden behind a veil to try to preserve what remains of anonymity (her name was soon revealed), she says she hesitated to reveal anything for fear to that her words will be distorted. And we understand why.

She is not a nervous woman but a combative person, determined to tell the truth. In a monotone, she unfolds her story in great detail, sometimes punctuating with a long resigned sighs.

Trips between maternity and morgue

It all started with an alert in the neighbourhood where the inhabitants life as a family. Koumatékel Monique, 31, was about to give birth and things looked bleak. She was taken to the hospital Laquintinie with Several family members accompanying and Rose joined on a motorcycle taxi.

The true part of the drama between the different hospital services begins
.
First emergencies, lying on the back seat of the taxi, Monique Koumatékel seems unconscious. But she is pregnant, and was sent to the maternity. Rose talks of the incredible mistake which instead lead them to the morgue, and their arrival at the maternity and the harsh reception of the medical staff, who, without examining the patient, finds out that she is death and returns them to the morgue.

In the absence of a death certificate, the mortuary attendant cannot accept them. Moreover, the mortuary attendant was surprised that a pregnant woman whose foetus was visibly showing signs of life was intended for the mortuary. He asked them to return to the maternity.

New petitions addressed to the staff at the maternity again were refused on the grounds this time around that the only operating room in service is busy. Rose Tacke could not contain her anger as the nurse insinuated that she is trying to disguise a crime and ordered her to leave “with her nonsense.”

Rose therefore choose to perform an operation on her in front of the closed doors of the maternity, “in case the newborn would have needed oxygen”. She grabs the pant of one of her colleagues, who examine Monique and detected also signs of life in the womb.

He wants to take a more sophisticated device to confirm this but is stopped by the cynical and scathing words of a nurse, “This is not the first time a woman dies with foetus in the stomach. Rose was still hearing the doors of the maternity closing in front of her family.

“We found ourselves facing helplessness. “And forced to go back to the morgue. She did not have the idea to “operate” Monique, but she acceded it fully. The use of a simple knife was even considered.

It was also discussed to call upon the mortuary attendant, who declined but suggested the use of a blade. Immediately a blade was bought at the pharmacy of the hospital for a sum of FCFA 200 (0.30 euros), along with a pair of gloves. Rose chose to perform her operation just in front of the closed doors of maternity, “in case the newborns were in need of oxygen.”

A gesture of despair

The mother of a 10 years old albino, said she took great care, she does not remember to have trembled or hesitated. A devout Christian, She said she prayed and “asked the Lord to harden [their] heart for what she experienced. Once it was all over, she was filled with Deep sorrow and regret, not to have acted earlier.

She is convinced that procrastination of hospital staff condemned the children: “I do not know if the Hippocratic oath has any meaning here. We saw arrogance and condescension caregivers. I came in a taxi. Things might have been different if we had arrived in 4 × 4 Prado. ”

To those who judge her indecent gesture – she knows they are many – who know that she did this act because she is “human and a mother,” but in no case for traditional reasons, as it has sometimes been said. Rose added that she would never be forgiven for not attempting anything.She is pleased to have contributed to exposing the flaws in the health system in Cameroon.

Since then, the family has rallied around her. A group of lawyers under the leadership of Dominique Fousse also defended her. “An invaluable support,” of gratitude from the small trader who never finished high school. What surprised her most was the mobilization of the population. Nearly 500 people took to the streets of Douala, on March 13.

“In Cameroon, there is a strong awareness of the existence of social classes. There is also the idea that everyone should remain at silent. But this mobilization has shown that these classes could join on many fronts. ”

The young lady also knows that politicians can good strives from it. John Fru Ndi, the chairman of the Social Democratic Front (SDF,) for example, gave her family the sum of FCFA 150,000 and other gifts in kind.

The young woman, who is not accompanied by any psychologist, swears that she would help with the same determination. She is pleased to have contributed to exposing the flaws in the health system in Cameroon, convinced that there will be an effect from the incident of March 12.

“People say what they think but my gesture is a lesson for doctors, for society, for every human being, to end the discrimination towards others. ”