A examine by the National Association of Nurses and Midwives (Nonm) has revealed that Malawi’s public well being finances is being closely strained by accidents ensuing from kabaza bike taxi accidents. The report estimates that in 2023 alone, K3.3 billion will probably be spent on treating kabaza casualties, contributing to a major burden on healthcare staff and infrastructure.

Nonm President Shouts Simeza disclosed these findings in the course of the Malawi Nursing and Midwifery Scientific Conference in Lilongwe. He highlighted that kabaza-related accidents have led to quite a few deaths, disabilities, and useful resource shortages inside the healthcare system.

“Kabaza operators often lack proper training, do not wear helmets, and operate in an unregulated environment. This combination results in severe injuries or fatalities, putting immense pressure on our already stretched health services,” Simeza said.

Simeza outlined the grim monetary and operational implications of those accidents:

Surgical Strain: Treating a single affected person for orthopedic or neurological accidents can take as much as eight hours in surgical procedure, involving a number of healthcare staff.

Treatment Costs: Open discount surgical procedures for fractures price as much as K3 million, whereas surgical procedures for pelvic and mind accidents can price as a lot as K7.9 million.

Accumulated Burden: With over 670 orthopaedic in-patients at the moment awaiting surgical procedure, hospitals face overwhelming backlogs, spending a median of K20 million weekly on accident instances.

Simeza urged the Directorate of Road Traffic and Safety Services to implement stricter laws on kabaza operators, together with obligatory helmet use, licensing, and accountability measures for accidents.

“Nurses are ready to volunteer as monitors to ensure compliance. Operators involved in accidents should face legal consequences, especially in cases resulting in severe injury or death,” he mentioned.

Health Minister Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda echoed these issues, calling for parliamentary intervention to control the kabaza trade. “If we don’t act now, we risk losing more productive citizens and witnessing a rise in orphans and widows,” she warned.

Despite the rising dangers, the Malawi Coalition for Kabaza Stakeholder and Association (Macokasa) has acknowledged systemic challenges. With over 2.8 million kabaza operators in Malawi, many function illegally as a result of excessive prices related to bike import obligation, licensing, and registration.

Macokasa Chairperson Moses Mwalabu admitted that self-regulation efforts have had restricted influence and known as for decreased import obligation on bikes to encourage compliance. Data from 2022-2023 paints a sobering image: over 1,800 individuals died from kabaza-related accidents, highlighting the pressing want for intervention.

Stakeholders, together with Nonm and Macokasa, agree that lowering kabaza-related accidents requires a multifaceted strategy, together with:

Strict Regulation: Licensing, helmet enforcement, and operator coaching.

Infrastructure Investment: Subsidies for bikes and security tools to advertise compliance.

Public Awareness: Continuous schooling on protected using practices.

With the well being sector bearing the brunt of the kabaza disaster, swift motion is essential to avoid wasting lives, protect assets, and restore effectivity in Malawi’s healthcare system.

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