Health

An international humanitarian Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Mercy Ships, has pledged to rescue some 1,400 destitute patients suffering from varied diseases in the West Region, who have repeatedly been turned away by officials of Government hospitals in the Region as they yearn for medical attention.

Moved by a pathetic incident in which one of the patients was denied medical healthcare because he could not afford the bills, given his chronic state, a Cameroonian who is based in the diaspora, invited the NGO to Cameroon to organise a medical campaign in the Region in order to enable the health organisation select patients whose conditions were precarious, and offer free surgery.  

During the campaign, over 1,400 serious medical cases were dictated ranging from; chronic ulcers, congenital abnormalities, bone contractures, huge tumours, clubfoot, malformations, amongst others.
Mercy Ships is based in Texas, USA and was founded by Donald Stephens in 1978, with a mission to improve access to healthcare in developing African countries. 

With its slogan; “Bringing Hope and Healing”, Mercy Ships lays emphasis on surgery, healthcare and development.

So far, it has operated in more than 50 developing nations and about 18 developed countries.
According to the official who solicited the help of the international NGO, “the free medical surgeries will safe many Cameroonians from Government neglects.

To him, “in some countries, the Government prioritise the health of its citizens, but in our own country which is very rich in terms of natural resources, even if patients manage to come to the hospital, they are turn away by uncaring medical personnel in Government hospitals,” he said.
Denizens from all the nooks and crannies in the Region with complicated medical problems and malformations, have been flooding the healthcare campaign of Mercy Ship and the NGO has agreed to stay in Cameroon from August 2017 to June 2018.
“We have seen very pathetic cases here, just as we will find in other parts of Cameroon. This is a very special occasion, thanks to the NGO, Mercy Ships, our patients will be taken care of. It is our wish that all goes well and we can only accompany our patients with prayers and express our gratitude to Mercy Ships for the golden opportunity given to the sick,” West Governor, Awa Fonka intimated. 

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Abeh Valery

26.May.2017

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Rita Akana

21.May.2017

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The Cameroon Renaissance Movement is concerned by the Government management of the strike by the Syndicat des Médecins du Cameroun (SYMEC). SYMEC brought to the attention of the Government and the public problems which hinder not only the professional development of Cameroonian doctors but also those that limit their willingness to treat their patients adequately.

What the SYMEC is asking the Government is to improve their purchasing power, their working conditions, technical facilities and universal health coverage.

Everything that physicians claim, because of their vital role in society, is ultimately for the well-being of all, those healthy today may be sick tomorrow.

Instead of finding solutions to the legitimate claims of doctors, in its usual arrogance, the Government has roughly attempted to break the strike by parading people presented as doctors who, in addition to proclaiming that there are no problems in our hospitals, called on President Paul BIYA to stand as a candidate for the next presidential election. Faced with the determination of the SYMEC, it has just taken measures of punitive assignment against its officials. Having lost all reason, the Minister of Public Health has, from these punitive assignments which violate union rights, demonstrated that he is willing to sacrifice our health on the altar of the preservation of his position.

CRM supports SYMEC, condemns the decision to assign trade unionists punitively, asks the Prime Minister, the head of the government, to cancel these assignments, which give the regime the image of a resentful power.

CRM calls for the resignation of Mr. André MAMA FOUDA, Minister of Public Health, for vindictive acts and incompetence in the management of a situation likely to seriously damage the effective medical care of Cameroonians already experiencing poverty for most of them.

The Communication Department
16th May 2017

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Rita Akana

18.May.2017

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Activities were paralyzed at the Yaounde center hospital and other hospitals in Cameroon as members of the union of medical personnel began a second phase of their strike action yesterday 16/05/2017 

According to reports, medics were wearing the black armband to express their grievances over poor working conditions, lack of insurance cover and review of their retirement ages. At the Deido district hospital only a single medical personnel was seen with the black armband. Doctors at Bonasama district hospital did not observe the strike action.  

Few days ago the minister of public health Andre Mama Fouda insisted that the trade union of medical personnel in Cameroon is illegal and transferred the masterminds of the strike action to interior localities.

 Sources say the union of Cameroon medics reacts to the transfer which came Friday of some of their members by the minister of Public Health.  

“I heard on social media that I and some of my colleagues from the national executive bureau of our trade union were transferred from our actual place of work and we have taken note of this and waiting to receive the official letter. Those working in Bamenda regional hospital have been asked to leave their offices. ” says an angry Doctor.  

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Ndi Modeste

16.May.2017

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Canal 2 International controversially cancelled a programme which was going to feature the president of the Cameroon Doctors’ Trade Union at the weekend. The programme titled l’ARENE was scheduled for 8 p.m local time on Sunday.

The media giant has not yet explained why the programme was called off.  

Doctor Yves Bassong had been invited at the backdrop of the current unrest in the medical environment in Cameroon.  And he had taken to social media to inform and invite the public to watch him on the programme.

But he was later told by the media outlet that the programme would not take place as planned.

Meanwhile the motive for the change is not yet clear, some sources claim that Canal 2 had yielded to excessive pressure from the powers that be, given that doctors have been at daggers drawn with the central government in Yaounde for months now.
Medical doctors in Cameroon are currently on strike, demanding pay increase; general health insurance coverage for all; and a review of the retirement age for doctors (from 55 to 65). The second phase of the strike, which spans three days,   is ongoing till Wednesday.  

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Rita Akana

15.May.2017

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The lexical gimmick devised by Public Health Minister, Andre Mama Fouda, to trick doctors into calling-off their planned strike action has flopped.

Mama Fouda, assisted by Minister Gregoire Owona of  Labour and Social Security and IssaTchiroma Bakary of Communication, May 12, launched a publicity stunt at a press conference in Yaoundé when they asserted that the Government is resolute to provide low cost quality healthcare to its citizens and not the universal Health Insurance which the medics are clamouring for.  

The press conference organised hours to the announced strike action by medical doctors, was intended to pep talked the medics into calling off their planned strike action.  

However, Mama Fouda’s utterances at the press conference seem to have further rekindled the strike spirit among the doctors, who are demanding for Universal Health Insurance and better working conditions.

But the Public Health boss said Universal Health Insurance was not Government’s priority.

“This Universal Health Insurance leads to imbalance access to healthcare and a significant burden on households in terms of health expenditure,” Mama Fouda argued.

Meanwhile, after watching the press conference, the Syndicate of Cameroon Medical Doctors (SCMD) expressed resentment at Mama Fouda’s utterances.

According to them, the patronising attitude displayed by the Minister towards doctors cannot deter them from embarking on the strike action.

According to them, their May 15 to 17strike must go on.

In a press release signed by the SCMD President, Dr. Bassong Pierre Yves, on May 12, he said all medical doctors are to stay home, while observing the strike because they are not safe at the hospital.

He said Doctors on call and emergency must wear a black armband during the strike.  

 

 

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Abeh Valery

15.May.2017

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