PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS GO ON STRIKE

        Activities at public hospitals in Cameroon have slowed down to a crawl following a national srike action by health workers in these hospitals.The strike which began last Monday April 23rd enters day 3 this Wednesday April 25th 2012.

        The striking workers are asking for a special status for all public health personnel, better working conditions, work benefits and specific task attribution. They  also want more motivation  and they decry corruption in hospitals and the mishandling of hospital funds.

        Workers such as those at the Laquintini hospital in Douala were however rendering a minimium service to patients as the black cloth tied around their right arms indicates.

         One of the striking workers at the Laquintini hospital, Nathalie Likane explains”we will continue the strike action untill our demands are met.If our situation is not ameliorated,we will completely stop attending to patients.The mortuary will be closed and corpses will neither be admitted nor removed.It is time our situation changed.”

          It was a regrettable scene at the hospital with the striking workers at the gate while some patients were drawing their last breath.

         Meanwhile all attempts to speak to administrative authorities at these hospitals proved futile.

Cameroon Celebrates World Malaria Day

Cameroon joined the international community  yesterday, to commemorate the 4th edition of World Malaria Day.

To mark this year’s celebrations, officials of the Ministry of Public Health, met at The Hilton in Yaounde to examine the progress achieved so far and to rekindle efforts at attaining the near zero death goal by 2015.

According to health experts, about one million persons die from malaria every year,the majority being women and children. This implies that, about 3000 persons die daily from the disease.

During the ceremony, the public was called upon to get their share of the mosquito nets which will be distributed as from August 2011. Also, Cameroonians were reminded that children of the ages of 5 and below have free access to free malaria treatment in government hospitals.