DUTIES OF CONFRATERNITY OF NURSES, MIDWIVES, AND MEDICAL TECHNICIANS

According to Decree No. 89-354 of March 3, 1989, on the Code of Ethics for Nurses, Midwives and Medical technicians in Cameroon, Medical and health professionals must maintain good relations among themselves. They owe each other moral assistance.
The one who has a professional disagreement with his colleague must first try to reconcile with him, in case of failure, he must notify the Council of the Order for conciliation.
It is good confraternity to take the defense of a colleague who is unjustly attacked.
At the end of a joint consultation between two or more medical professionals, their conclusions must be drawn jointly and in writing, signed by the treating physician, and countersigned by the consultant(s).
When no written conclusions are drawn up, the consultant is deemed to fully agree with the opinion of the treating physician.
When, during a consultation between medical and health professionals, the opinions of the consultant and the treating professional differ on key points, the treating medical professional must seek the opinion of other colleagues.
Except in emergencies, the medical-health professional who has been called for consultation must not return to the patient examined in common, in the absence or without the approval of the attending health professional, during the illness that prompted the consultation. If he has to do so, he must inform his colleague as soon as possible.
The medical-health professional may only be replaced in his clientele temporarily by a colleague registered with the Order or by a student who has completed his third year of training. The Council immediately assesses whether the replacement meets the required conditions of morality, issues the necessary authorization, and informs the Ministry of Public Health.
During the replacement, the student or the medical professional is subject to the disciplinary jurisdiction of the Council of the Order.
Except in cases of force majeure, the duration of a replacement must not exceed 12 months.
In the event of short-term unavailability due to force majeure, the medical health professional established in private practice
may be assisted or replaced for a period not exceeding ten days by a colleague registered on the Order or by a student medical-health professional who has completed his third year of training. The Council of the Order must be informed immediately.
A medical and health professional who has replaced a colleague for more than three months must not, for two years from the end of this replacement, take up a position that would allow him/her to compete directly with the colleague he has replaced unless there is an agreement between them duly notified to the Council of the Order.
When such an agreement cannot be obtained, the case must be submitted to the Council of the Order.
The private medical and health professional may not be replaced by a civil servant or by a fellow member in the service of the State as a technical or a practitioner serving in denominational work unless there is a duly noted shortage of private medical and health professionals.
The medical-health professional shall not be located in a building
in which a colleague of the same specialty is practicing.
Any association or partnership between medical and health professionals must be the subject of a written contract that respects the professional independence of each of them.
The draft contracts must be submitted to the Minister of Public Health for assessment.
The assessment of the Minister referred to in the previous paragraph is made after the opinion of the Council of the Order, which must give its opinion on the draft contracts submitted to it within thirty days of its referral. After this period, its opinion is deemed to be favorable.