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AGREEMENT FOR COLLABORATION OR MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENT (SLA) )
BETWEEN
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN CAMEROON (PCC)
AND
PROJECT FOR ACHA-TUGI HEALTHCARE SYSTEM (PATH)
I. PREAMBLE
Whereas PCC is an established Church of the Protestant Denomination recognized and operating in Cameroon as an independent religious institution since 1957;
Whereas PCC operates a Health System comprising several hospitals and health centres, educational institutions, schools and agriculture and rural development institutions;
Whereas PATH is a private not-for-profit Charity formed in 2007 to improve the quality of life of people living in Mbengwi Sub-Division in particular and Momo as a whole;
Whereas Healthcare remains a challenging need for all countries particularly Sub-Saharan African Countries as concerns threats to human health such as malaria, HIV/AIDs, TB and other infectious diseases;
Whereas human Health is one of the foci of the Millennium Development Goals;
Whereas the World Health Organization, the World Bank and other international organizations are engaging considerable resources to improve healthcare delivery system world wide;
Whereas PCC and PATH have started working together in the field of healthcare through the establishment of an office, computer centre, and other resources at Acha-Tugi Presbyterian Hospital with the consent and support of PCC leadership and hospital administrators and staff;
Whereas PATH mobilized and obtained a 40 foot container of medical equipment, supplies and an ambulance valued nominally for customs clearance purposes at
US$58, 756.00 through the American Medical Resources Foundation (AMR) as donations from a number of hospitals, physicians and other individuals in the United States of America by letter of October 20, 2006;
Whereas the said goods and equipment were shipped to Cameroon and cleared through customs by PATH and delivered to the Presbyterian Hospital Acha-Tugi in 2007;
Considering that the said goods and equipment were distributed to the Presbyterian Hospital Acha-Tugi, the District Hopital in Mbengwi and Healthcare centres in Momo Division and the Presbyterian Hospital Kumba;
In view of the INTENT AND STRONG DESIRE of AMR and MH-GC to collaborate with PCC in the medical training and delivery of state of the art medical health services throughout the PCC healthcare system in the long run;
Mindful of the need for MH-GC and AMR to work with a reputed medical institution in Cameroon with establish infrastructure in a high altitude zone above 1500 masl which is very conducive for recovery and disaster medicine in the tropics;
Considering that the Presbyterian Hospital Acha-Tugi offers the best altitude at 1,650 masl and the most appropriate infrastructure and cultural and social environments for medical training, clinical services and cultural experience for international volunteers;
Considering the requirements of PCC for a modern robust healthcare system and institutional needs in men, money and machinery in the health field;
Mindful of the capacity of PATH to garner such resources in the United States of America and place same at the disposal of PCC for the improvement of its medical services in the service of humanity;
Mindful that PATH is a registered Charity under Cameroon Law as per ACKNOWLEDGEMENT RECEIPT No. E.30/C.72/515/AR/SP of 23 March, 2007 issued by the Senior Divisional Officer for Momo in Mbengwi, Momo Division of the North-West Region, Cameroon.
II. PURPOSE
1. The primary purpose of this SLA is to establish an acceptable legal and general basis for mutual collaboration and cooperation in the service to humanity with a view to enhance, strengthen and enrich international cooperation in education, research and service to the community in the medical field.
2. PCC will collaborate with PATH to build a medical training institution in Acha-Tugi within the next two years for the purposes of quantitative and qualitative improvements of medical and health management personnel for service in Cameroon and the world and in PCC Healthcare System.
3. PATH will collaborate with PCC to provide physicians and medical experts in fields of interest to PCC for the educational and clinical programs of PCC in pursuance of the goals and objectives of both parties.
4. Through this SLA, the parties will be encouraged and motivated to develop contacts and propose collaborative projects to further the stated and implied purposes of this SLA, and to seek internal and external sources for projects, programs and plans of beneficial mutual interest.
III. NECESSARY ENABLING ENVIRONMENT
5. PCC will work with PATH to obtain for service under PATH guidance and directives some of PCC’s clinical and medical staff for the purpose of implementing collaborative programs so that PATH will have people answerable to PATH who can provide the liaison with PCC.
6. The commitment by both parties to establish a medical training institution in the Presbyterian Hospital Acha-Tugi in accordance with the Cameroon Law on private higher education within two years from signature of this SLA is a pre-condition for further collaboration, as the volume of financial, material and human resources required for medical work in the PCC Healthcare system will be most effectively and efficiently used within the framework of a training and service healthcare system with large resource investments.
IV. GENERAL PROVISIONS
1. All the training, research and medical outreach carried out pursuant to this SLA shall be conducted in accordance with the laws and regulations appropriate to each country (USA and Cameroon). In the case of PATH, these are the laws of the United States of America, the States of the partner agencies and the rules and regulations of the Board of Trustees of PATH. In the case of PCC, these are the Constitution of PCC, the General Finance Orders, the specific laws and regulations on private tertiary education and Health Institutions in Cameroon.
2. This SLA shall take effect from the date of signature by both parties and shall be valid for five years. It shall be automatically renewed for additional five-year periods unless either party provides the other with a written notice of intent to terminate.
V. MODIFICATION AND TERMINATION OF THIS SLA
Notice of termination by either party must be given at least 90 days in advance. This SLA may be modified by written agreement of both parties at any time. Nothing within this SLA shall create any financial obligation or cause any hardship to either party.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the parties hereto have executed two copies of this instrument, each of which shall be considered an original.
VI. CONTACT INFORMATION OF THE COLLABORATING PARTIES:
FOR PCC FOR PATH
Address: P.O. Box 19, Buea, SW Region, Cameroon 412 Pleasant St, MA 02072
USA
Endorsement is herby granted by:
___________________________
Mr. Fokam Ebenezer
President/CEO of PATH
___________________________
Rt. Rev. Dr. Festus Ambe Asana
Moderator of PCC
___________________________
Dr Agwo Tata
Microhealth Global Consulting
Date: Thursday, November 25, 2010
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