Dr Georges Bwelle was born on the 13th of September 1973. He is fondly known as “Georges of the jungle”. As a young boy he was inspired by his father who suffered from a neurological condition. His father’s battle with illness inspired him to pursue a career in medicine. During the last twenty-one years of his father's life George was the primary caretaker and would spend long hours/days in line just for his father to see a doctor. George felt the need to help the poor and his father encouraged him to pursue medicine in order to meet that need.
In 1993 he was admitted into the Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé I, Cameroon. He later graduated as a medical doctor and was posted to the Yaounde Teaching Hospital. From there he went to Bengbis where he met his first volunteer Zeng Annicet, with whom he carried out his very first health campaign in Meyomadjom, Cameroon. Due to the personal out of pocket costs to sponsor these health campaigns they could only afford one per year. After working in the field, Dr. Bwelle returned to the Faculty of Medicine and biomedical sciences in 2003 to specialize in general surgery and completed subspecialty training in visceral surgery at Université Libre de Brussels (ULB).
Upon graduation in 2008, ASCOVIME was born, a non-profit organization with the goal to bring free and specialized health services as well as didactic material to the poor and indigenous populations of Cameroon. In 2008, Dr Georges Bwelle carried out an average of 1 health campaign per month. By 2010, he upgraded to 2-3 campaigns per month. In 2013, Dr Bwelle Georges was internationally recognized as a Top 10 CNN hero which projected the association into the limelight. Since then, the campaigns have quadrupled. With one health/educational campaign per week, and sometimes, twice a week and hundreds of international volunteers to assist each year. He has equally received several national and international recognitions for his humanitarian activities. ASCOVIME health missions today involves several specialties including surgery, pediatrics, gynecology, dentistry, ophthalmology, laboratory investigations as well as cancer screenings. In one health mission that lasts 2-3 days, ASCOVIME receives and provides free specialized healthcare to an average of 500 patients.
On the 1st of June 2016, ASCOVIME carried out its first health campaign outside Cameroon borders in the Bo district of Sierra Leone which fulfilled Dr Bwelle’s dream to reach out to the poor and indigenous populations in villages outside Cameroon.
Association of Cameroonian Physicians
in the Americas, Incorporated
Phone: (912) 584-0163
info@acpa-cmr.org