Category: Medical

By Mayayong

The Regional Hospital in Bamenda is in dire need of incubators for babies born prematurely according to the Hospital’s director, Dr. Denis Nsame.

Dr. Nsame, speaking to CNA, explained that there are currently 19 pre-term babies in the hospital but the hospital’s neonatal unit only has 6 incubators, leaving 13 other premature babies who need to be in an incubator, without one.

Dr. Noela Ngwanyama who heads the neonatal unit at the Hospital also explained that most of these pre-term babies have infections, asphyxia (breathing difficulties due to their poorly-formed lungs), and neonatal jaundice.

Dr. Nsame, the director of the hospital, also explained that there is a shortage of staff as the Hospital only has 2 pediatricians (doctors specializing in child health), 2 general practitioners (doctors who don’t perform invasive surgery), 12 nurses, and 30 beds with only 6 working incubators.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

The Cameroon Human Rights Commission (CHRC) has urged the government of Cameroon to include the study of braille as a subject in schools across the nation.

In a nine-page document made public on January 2, in prelude to World Braille Day which is observed every year on January 4, the Commission expressed concern about several challenges faced by visually impaired persons in Cameroon.

Braille is a system of reading for blind or visually impaired people, consisting of a series of raised dots that are felt with the fingertips. It is named after Louis Braille who invented the method.

Some of the challenges faced by the blind or visually impaired in Cameroon include stereotypes by some parents who leave children with this disability in private centers with no follow-up; few teachers in mainstream schools with a knowledge of braille; lack of textbooks or documents in braille and no consideration given to the visually impaired on things such as pharmaceutical products.

The CHRC therefore urges the Ministries of
Basic, Secondary, and Higher Education; as well as vocational training centers, to include braille as an optional subject in school curricula to help blind people easily integrate into mainstream society.

According to Orbis (an international NGO that specializes in the treatment of preventable blindness), it is estimated that nearly 250,000 people in Cameroon suffer from blindness and 600,000 suffer from vision loss with cataracts contributing nearly half of all cases of blindness. There is a lack of skilled eye care professionals, infrastructure, and equipment to adequately address these needs.

The Cameroonian Society Of Ophthalmology (CSO) reports that it has only 61 surgeons in Cameroon with a population of 24 million people.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

Amid the conflict that started in 2016, health personnel have faced tremendous persecution in line with their duties, but they have never given up fighting to save lives. Though the Konye District Hospital operates in the unrest in Meme Division, the South West region, the staff have braved the odds to keep to their Hippocratic oath, even after suffering a four-year closure.

The Chief of the Health District in Konye, Dr Nzozone Henry, summarised this ordeal by saying that ‘Konye is a highly insecure zone yet over the past 3 years these staffs have put in their last sweat and blood to ensure the people of Konye receive quality healthcare which is a fundamental human right.’

On December 22, 2023, the efforts of the Konye District Health Services Staff were compensated in a prize award ceremony that brought together, traditional rulers, South West regional health officials, administrative and security officers.

The Chief of the Health District in Konye, Dr. Nzozone Henry, revealed that the hospital had been
in ruins with equipment stolen, and when they reopened in April 2021, they realized there was nothing left to operate with but with concerted efforts, there was a massive turnaround with positive advocacy targetting Government institutions, Councils, NGOs, and well-wishers. ‘In June 2021, we secured the donation of an Ultra Modern Autoclave and Oxygen concentrator by the ISLAMIC BANK. In June 2021, we secured material donations from the Konye Municipal Council to 8 facilities in the district worth 35 million FCFA. July 2023 we Installed a solar power system to provide lighting to the Konye District hospital and power all laboratory equipment.’ He revealed.

Donations also came from the South West Regional Assembly, GAVI, Ministry of Public Health, CERAC Women, and UNICEF among others.

The Staff used this equipment and support and changed the status of the hospital from ruins to life!

These achievements are the main reasons why the Staff of the Konye District Hospital were awarded prizes for the swift transf
ormation of the health institution.

‘Recognizing and rewarding the efforts of our staff is essential for maintaining motivation and morale. By presenting these price awards, we aim to show our appreciation for their hard work and dedication. This recognition will not only encourage our staff to continue striving for excellence but also serve as an inspiration to others in the community. Moreover, acknowledging the achievements of our staff helps to strengthen the bond between the health services and the community. By showcasing the positive impact of their work, we can foster a sense of pride and unity, which is crucial for the continued success of our healthcare services.’ The Chief of the Health District in Konye emphasized.

Categories

Neatest health facility

Best facility in timeliness and completeness of reports

Most proactive facility in universal health coverage

Facility with best data quality for malaria

Best chief of center

Facility with best data quality for EPI

Certificate of recognition

M
ost dedicated community health worker

Most punctual staff District Hospital Konye

Most dedicated staff District Hospital Konye

Best behaved staff District Hospital Konye

Most hardworking staff District Hospital Konye

Best health area chairman

Best focal point communication

While thanking the administration, traditional rulers, the Council, and well-wishers, the Chief of the Health District paid a special tribute to the Staff, adding ‘Let us also look forward to the future and the continued growth of our healthcare services. Together, we can ensure that the people of Konye District receive the best possible care, now and in the years to come.’

Future projects include:

Enroll all targets for Universal health coverage in Konye and further ensure they benefit from all the packages put in place by the State.

Advocate for the improvement of human resources, more doctors, more nurses, more midwives

Invest in the training and development of our staff to ensure they have the necessary skills and knowledge t
o deliver the best possible care.

Advocate for more bikes to cover all remaining 9-health facilities

Advocate for infrastructural maintenance of all health facilities

Advocate for solar power installations for all health facilities

Continuing to collaborate with local and international partners to access the latest medical advancements and technologies.
Source: Cameroon News Agency

WINDHOEK: The Ministry of Health and Social Services, along with its regional and national partners, officially launched the National Surgical Obstetric and Anaesthesia Plan (NSOAP) in Windhoek on Thursday.

The ministry also unveiled the Infection Prevention and Control Action Plan (IPC) and the Revised Guidelines for IPC, Operation Theatre, and Central Sterile Services Departments (CSSD).

Minister of Health and Social Services, Kalumbi Shangula, in his statement availed to the media, said the NSOAP is designed to address challenges and shortcomings related to the provision of safe surgical, obstetric, and anaesthesia healthcare services. These challenges were compounded by the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The NSOAP addresses six vital health system domains – surgical infrastructure and equipment, surgical service delivery, surgical workforce, surgical information management, surgical financing, and surgical system governance,” the minister said.

Shangula however said there is still much work to be done as factors such as population growth, dispersed rural populations, and other public health priorities have placed significant pressure on the capacity to deliver equitable, high-quality emergency care, surgical obstetric, and anaesthesia services to those in need.

He said to ensure the successful implementation of the NSOAP, the Health Ministry, with support from its health partners, will allocate the necessary resources. Shangula stated that the ministry is committed to actively monitoring and evaluating the implementation process, engaging all stakeholders and partners in a continuous effort to achieve the goal of universal health coverage for all Namibians.

Shangula also explained that the IPC Action Plan addresses the challenges faced by the ministry in preventing and controlling healthcare-associated infections. The plan is informed by the World Health Organisation IPC Assessment Tool, which is designed to implement evidence-based interventions in healthcare settings. It aims to enhance IPC education and training for healthcare workers, improve surveillance and reporting systems for healthcare-associated infections, and elevate the monitoring and evaluation of IPC activities.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

The Governor of the East Region, Grégoire Mvongo has burned more than 20MFCFA worth of smuggled medicines in Bertoua.

These drugs were burnt on October 12, 2023 at the Hysacam landfill in Bertoua as Cameroon joined the African community to commemorate the African Day Against Fake Drugs.

Cameroon commemorated the day on the theme, “Health for all: Committing to fight against fake drugs for a successful UHC”.

According to the governor, the aim of this measure is to combat counterfeit drugs trafficking in the legal supply chain.

Governor Grégoire Mvongo stated that; “Tampering of medicines is an offense to public health, we must all get involved in the fight against this traffic, in the interest of the people,”.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

The Ethiopia Trachoma Program has performed the trachomatous trichiasis (TT) surgery on 1.6 million people and prevented blindness from trachoma, Health Minister Dr. Lia Tadesse disclosed today.

Addressing the conference on eliminating trachoma in Ethiopia, the minister said Ethiopia is currently implementing the WHO strategy towards trachoma elimination.

Accordingly, “the Ethiopia Trachoma Program had significant progress in preventing severe forms of trachoma in various parts of the country. Results from our ongoing survey being conducted in trachoma endemic woredas or districts show that 1.6 million individuals, most of them women, have received surgical correction commonly known as trachomatous trichiasis (TT) and were able to avert blindness.”

Through the Government of UK support more than 5 million people have received improved access to WASH since 2018, which is really prominent not only to sustainably eliminate trachoma but also to prevent other water borne diseases, it was pointed out.

According to her, ensuring the availability of qualified and skilled integrated eye care workers at primary health care units and performing TT surgeries in large numbers are among the reasons that resulted in the progress achieved.

The Duchess of Edinburgh and Global Ambassador for the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) said on her part that collaborative effort is needed to eliminate trachoma and create free generation.

In spite of many exciting successes the last few years have shown us, global developments can quickly undermine the progress, Sophie stated, adding that gains can be lost overnight if the strategies are not strong.

“The Government of Ethiopia and WASH are collaborating to create more access to clean water and sanitation so that now we can begin to look towards trachoma free future for Ethiopia,” the duchess noted.

The Duchess of Edinburgh is currently visiting Ethiopia to celebrate the transformative work of the international eye care charity Orbis, and participate in World Sight Day on 12th October.

The international eye care charity Orbis played a leading role in developing 266 primary eye care units, 10 secondary eye care units, 3 pediatric eye care centers, and 6 optical workshops in Ethiopia since 1998.

According to Community Eye Health Journal, Ethiopia has the greatest burden of trachoma worldwide, accounting for 49 percent of 136.2 million people at risk globally.

In 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that almost 460,000 people in Ethiopia require surgery to treat trachomatous trichiasis (TT), the late blinding stage of the disease.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

A 20-year-old man is now in police custody after biting and eating the flesh of a 1-year-old baby in Mbouda, West Region.

The incident happened over the weekend in Ntouo, a neighborhood in Bamessingue village in Mbouda subdivision of the West Region.

The man whose name we got as Tchinda, confessed in a video now making the rounds on social media, that he “needed human blood to save his life” and so decided to take on the innocent baby by biting him twice on the chin and on the stomach and eating the flesh.

After being caught and tied by locals, the flesh-eater cried for help from onlookers.

“I won’t eat a child again, please help deliver me. Untie me please, I won’t escape” Tchinda can be heard pleading in the video.

“They were trying to take me away. I came and saw my brother, explaining to him the situation in which I found myself so that he could help save me but he did not care. I told him I was in danger, that they were asking me (for) human blood or I (would) die. One of my brothers said he would pray for me (but) I denied, requesting the presence of my mother” added the flesh eater.

The baby whom Tchinda bit and ate, also happens to be his nephew (his own brother’s child).

The baby’s life was only saved thanks to the intervention of the population and taken to a health facility for medical attention.

Source: Cameroon News Agency