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Obstetrics & Maternity
Safe pregnancy and childbirth, from the first antenatal visit to the six-week check-up.
YGOPH was built to protect the lives of mothers and newborns, and maternity care remains at the heart of what we do. As a first-category, last-referral hospital, our maternity welcomes women who choose us for their delivery as well as women referred from health districts across the Centre region with complicated pregnancies.
Our obstetricians, midwives, anaesthetists and paediatricians work as one team around the clock. The labour ward is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with an operating theatre, a blood bank and a neonatal unit on the same site, so that an emergency caesarean or a newborn resuscitation can happen within minutes.
What we offer
- Antenatal consultations
- High-risk pregnancy care
- Labour & delivery 24/7
- Caesarean section
- Newborn check before discharge
- Postnatal follow-up
Antenatal consultations. Monthly visits with blood pressure, weight, fetal growth and heartbeat checks, and the recommended tests at each stage.
High-risk pregnancy care. Close follow-up of pre-eclampsia, diabetes, twins, previous caesarean, sickle cell disease and other risk factors.
Labour & delivery 24/7. Individual delivery rooms, continuous monitoring and pain relief options, including epidural analgesia when available.
Caesarean section. Planned and emergency caesareans performed in our own theatres with a dedicated anaesthesia team.
Newborn check before discharge. Every baby is examined by a paediatrician before going home, with first vaccines given at the maternity.
Postnatal follow-up. Breastfeeding support, family planning counselling and a mother-and-baby review at six weeks.
Antenatal care: a healthy start
We recommend that you book your first visit as early as possible, ideally in the first trimester. At the first consultation we open your maternity booklet, take your history and prescribe the standard antenatal blood tests and an early ultrasound. After that you will be seen every month, and more often in the last weeks of pregnancy or if a risk is identified.
- Blood group and rhesus, full blood count and blood sugar
- Screening for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B, with free HIV testing in our PMTCT programme
- Obstetric ultrasounds at key stages of pregnancy
- Iron and folic acid supplements, malaria prevention and tetanus vaccination
- Advice on nutrition, danger signs and preparing for the birth
Giving birth at YGOPH
When labour starts, come directly to the maternity entrance, which is open day and night. A midwife will assess you, check your baby’s heartbeat and admit you to the labour ward. Each woman gives birth in an individual delivery room, and our midwives follow the WHO Safe Childbirth Checklist at every stage of labour.
After a normal birth, mothers usually stay for about two days. After a caesarean section the stay is longer, generally three to five days depending on recovery. You can choose between a single room and a shared room, subject to availability.
Care for complicated pregnancies
As the reference maternity for women and children in Yaoundé, we receive many pregnancies that need specialist attention: severe pre-eclampsia and eclampsia, bleeding in pregnancy, preterm labour, diabetes, heart disease, multiple pregnancies and women with a previous caesarean. These patients are managed jointly by obstetricians, anaesthetists and, when needed, the intensive care unit. Premature or sick babies are transferred straight to our neonatal unit and kangaroo mother care unit.
After the birth
We encourage skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding within the first hour, and exclusive breastfeeding for six months. Before you go home, your baby receives BCG and oral polio vaccines and an appointment is made for the 6-week vaccinations. We will also see you at six weeks to check your recovery, discuss family planning and answer any questions about your health and your baby’s.
Who leads the service
- Prof. DOHBIT Julius Sama – Chief of Service, Gynaecology, Obstetrics & Sub-specialties
- Dr MINDA Véronique – Obstetrician-Gynaecologist, Deputy Chief of Service
- POVINNI Christine – Midwife, Head of Obstetric Hospitalisation Unit
- NGANYOU FOPESSI Sylvette Flore – Head Nurse, Outpatients, Family Planning & Obstetric Emergencies
Practical information
When to come. Antenatal consultations Monday to Friday, 07:30 – 15:30, by appointment. The labour ward and obstetric emergencies are open 24/7.
What to bring. Your ID card, maternity booklet, previous test results and ultrasound reports, and your insurance card if you have one.
Costs. Consultation and delivery fees are listed on our price list. Ask the admissions office about the national chèque santé and the universal health coverage (CSU) scheme.
Come immediately if…. You have bleeding, severe headache, blurred vision, fits, fever, loss of fluid, reduced baby movements or severe abdominal pain.
Opening hours
- Consultations: Mon – Fri, 07:30 – 15:30
- Labour ward: 24 hours, 7 days
- Obstetric emergencies: 24 hours, 7 days
- Ward visits: 12:00 – 13:00 & 18:00 – 19:00
Specialists in Obstetrics & Maternity
Dr EBODE KO’A Claude Odile Vanessa
Obstetrician-GynaecologistDr EYENGA MFOMO Elvire épse MEKA MEKA
Obstetrician-Gynaecologist
Dr EYONGOBEN OSOGO
Obstetrician-GynaecologistDr KAIRA VIRNA Alain
Obstetrician-GynaecologistDr KODOUME MOTOLOUZE
Obstetrician-GynaecologistDr MINDA Véronique
Obstetrician-Gynaecologist – Deputy Chief of ServiceFrequently asked questions
As soon as you know you are pregnant, ideally before 12 weeks. Early care allows us to date the pregnancy accurately, detect risks and start supplements that protect your baby.
One companion may stay with you during labour when the ward situation allows it. Please discuss this with the midwife on duty, who will explain the rules that protect the privacy of other mothers.
Epidural analgesia can be offered after assessment by the anaesthesia team, depending on your medical situation and the availability of the team. Ask about it during your antenatal visits so that a pre-anaesthesia consultation can be planned.
Bring your documents (ID, maternity booklet, results), clothes and sanitary pads for yourself, clothes, nappies and a blanket for the baby, and toiletries. Our midwives give each mother a checklist during antenatal visits.
Yes. As a last-referral hospital we receive women referred from health centres and district hospitals, 24 hours a day. A referral letter and any available results help our team act quickly.
Ask a question about Obstetrics & Maternity
Our team replies on working days. For an emergency, do not write: call (+237) 670 607 278 or come directly to the hospital.