Background: The border between Nigeria and Cameroun stretches for hundreds of kilometers. The
movement of patients from Maiduguri, NE Nigeria into Cameroun’s border hospitals is becoming very
popular. This study investigated the categories of people involved in such movement, their healthcare
needs in Cameroun and the motivation behind the movement.
Methods: In-depth interviews with fifteen participants (patients) who received treatment in Cameroun’s
border hospitals and two health workers (doctors) were conducted. The patients were recruited through
a snowball sampling technique. Analysis was done through a manual coding of the main themes of the
interview which were collated and interpreted.
Results: Respondents were predominantly male and aged but cutting across wide socio-economic
stratum. Ophthalmic care was the predominant care sought by patients. Perceived higher quality of care
in Cameroun which embodies expertise, shorter duration of treatment, quality of drugs, and positive
health worker attitude was the main motivation for seeking care.
Conclusion: In view of the decaying nature of Nigeria’s healthcare delivery, there is a likelihood of
increased patient flows into Cameroun unless current health reforms are concretized. There is the need
for formal exchange of patients between border healthcare facilities as a policy measure. Since this
study considered only-way movement of patients, the need to examine patient flows into both Nigeria
and Cameroun in future studies was highlighted.