Transport fares in Cameroon have been officially increased in response to the 15% increase in the prices of petroleum products made by the Government at the start of February 2024.
This is the major recommendation arrived at in a meeting between some Government Ministers and Road Transport Trade Unionists which was held on Wednesday, February 14, 2024, at the headquarters of the Hydrocarbons Price Stabilization Fund in Yaoundé.
The first recommendation from the meeting confirmed the 15% increase of Petroleum products at delivery units in towns depending on the weight of the fuel in the units.
Increase by 15% of transport floor prices of goods negotiated in common accord between transporters and cargo owners depending on the nature of the cargo.
Proceed with an urgent increase in the prices of urban, semi-urban, and interurban transport fares to absorb the impact of the fuel increase at fueling stations.
Another meeting between the Transport Trade Unionists and the Minister of Transport was scheduled for
Monday, February 19, 2024, to urgently finalize a concertation linked to other transport issues.
Other recommendations arrived at, during the meeting were the urgent resolution of altercations between transporters and uniform men at control posts, the examination of taxes and customs duties levied during the importation of spare parts, the authorization to circulate with receipts of car registration documents, and the immediate lifting of the strike action earlier announced by transporters by joining concertation efforts initiated by the government.
On behalf of the Government were the Ministers of Trade, Labor and social security, transport and of water resource and energy, including the General Manager of the Hydrocarbons Price Stabilization Fund and representatives of the General Delegate of National Security and the Secretary of state in charge of the National Gendarmerie.
The Minister of Trade, Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana had rejected a unilateral increase in the prices of urban, semi-urban, and inte
rurban transport fares imposed by some transporters since the Government decided to increase prices of petroleum products by 15%, calling on them to join the government’s concertation efforts.
Source: Cameroon News Agency
Patients in Thika are a relieved lot, after a local hospital procured a laparoscopy digital machine that will not only ease surgery procedures but also reduce treatment costs.
The Mary Help the Sick Mission Hospital, the first private hospital in Thika to install state-of-the-art medical equipment, will end the headaches of travelling abroad or to Nairobi to seek specialised treatment.
Speaking while launching the equipment, hospital CEO Dr. Sagaya Rani said the machine will be a game changer in helping patients seeking surgery.
She said that using the machine, their specialised doctors will be able to identify tumours and cases that need surgery, and the machine will precision-pierce through to the specific area and remove the tumour.
The new machine will be precise in its procedures, unlike normal surgeries, which require open surgery affecting large areas of the body.
‘This has come at the right time, as the hospital has been hiring equipment from the more established hospitals across the Country, wh
ich has been expensive and sometimes not consistently available,’ she said.
The Hospital Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Jesse Gitaka, said with the new machine, surgery charges are expected to go down.
He said surgical procedures will be effective as they will be performed through one or multiple small incisions rather than large ones through the abdominal wall.
‘There will be minimal blood loss, no scars as with normal procedures, and patients will heal fast and be discharged fast; this will reduce congestion in the wards,’ Dr. Gitaka said.
He said the technology can also be used to treat complicated cases, especially those with increased risks during open surgery.
He added that the hospital has a specialised team of doctors for the procedures and that they are embarking on training the medical personnel so as to have top medical experts at the facility.
During the official launch of the equipment at the hospital, one of the beneficiaries, Jesta Njiru, a Thika resident, said she faced a lot of challenges a
fter discovering that she had a tumour in her veins.
She could not get pregnant after several attempts, but after being referred to the hospital, she was operated on, and luckily, she is now pregnant.
‘I’m happy that I’m among the first beneficiaries of this machine. After getting operated on and removing the tumour, I’m now pregnant and hope many more people will benefit from this machine,’ said Jesta.
Source: Kenya News Agency