Volcanic ash fall could reach Cuenca, Chinese dominate tire market, Tram maintenance postponed, Gov’t owes cancer hospitals millions

Nov 19, 2019 | 7 comments

Lunes, 18/11/2019

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –
De la pagina cultural –

From 15/11/2019 – 4o Festival Internacional de Cine de Cámara Lúcida will run until 22/22 and show 140 films from 50 countries.

From 8/11/2019 – Winners of a photography contest held by the World Press Photo Foundation will be shown until 29/11 at the Museo de Arte Moderno (Sucre y Coronel Tálbot). Hours are 9-17:30, M-F and 10-14:00, Sáb. y Dom.

Yoga conference – The swami Shivananda will hold a conference on Shiva Kriya Yoga el jueves, 21/11 in the Salón de la Ciudad.

Otras cosas –

SOLCA cancer hospital Cuenca.

Titular – Mantemiento del tranvía se posterga (Tram maintenance postponed) – Maintenance has been postponed until a new company can be found and contracted with. This will take until junio of 2020. Alstrom, which built the trains, submitted a bid of $15,500,500 for a 4 year contract which the city considers too high. <Using 20,000 as the daily ridership, the fare to cover just maintenance would have to be $.51 -yeah, that’s too high.> Two other alternatives are the Metropolitano de Tenerife Sociedad Anónima (MTSA) from Spain, and Benito Roggio Transporte (BET) from Argentina. Currently, the Tranvía has trained local workers to maintain the trains. <Then why do they need a contractor?>

Chinese tires – Chinese tires are coming into the market and affecting Ecuadorian tire manufacturers such as Continental Tire Andina which is local. Various vendors say the imported tires are cheaper and durable. An interprovincial driver said that the Chinese tires may be cheaper, but Continentals are optimum because they have American technology. <This next is for those of you who are practicing for an Ecuadorian version of The Price is Right.> A Michelin with 22.5″ rims costs about $700, the Continental costs $600, a Korean Kumho $500 and a Chinese tire $300. A new tire for a camión (large truck) is $500 and getting a retread is $250. According to the Aduana, from enero a octubre of 2019, 181,635 tires worth $683,990 were imported – 95.75% were Chinese.

SOLCA – The hospitals that treat cancer patients are asking to speak to Pres. Moreno about their untenable economic situation. SOLCA has not received payments for treating patients referred to them by the Ministerio de Salud (Health) Publico, IESS, ISSFA and Isspol. The debt is about $180 million and SOLCA needs the money in about 3 months so it can purchase equipment, and increase insumos (supplies – your word for the day because it’s one of those I can’t ever remember) and salaries. Some of the hospitals may not be able to attend to patients for lack of supplies. The provincial director of IESS in Azuay has been working with SOLCA in Cuenca to pay its debt of $1.5 million.

Volanic ash – A light ash fall from the volcán Sangay which started erupting el 7/5 fell on Macas in Morona Santiago. The ash which reached 1 km. above the crater is moving southwest, and could fall on Chimborazo, Cañar and possibly Azuay.

From 8/11/2019 – A new Centro Diurno de Atención al Adulto Mayor (Day Care Center for the Elderly) is scheduled to start services in febrero, 2020. The center which is near the Parque Inclusivo and on the Río Tarqui will have spaces for physical and occupational therapy, TV and reading rooms, medical consultations, a kitchen and dining room, and an outdoor space for learning how to garden.

The two story building has an elevator, is barrier free, and has panels (solar?) to maintain temperatures needed by the elderly, and to keep the cold outside the building. <It sounds like the writer is trying to say that this building is heated but it’s such a foreign concept that he has to describe what heating is.> There are currently two other “guarderías” (kindergardens or day care centers) in Cuenca in El Vergel, and the second near the colegio Bilingue. The cost for services varies from $5 to $150/mo.

From 9/11/2019 – Christmas tree – The tree that has been set up in El Otorongo will be in the linear park on Av. 24 de Mayo y Max Uhle this year. Other lighted figures will be installed over the río Tomebamba, along the Tranvía route, in El Centro and in parks such as the Tarqui-Guzho, along av. 12 de Octobre, and parque Del Dragón, and rural parks. Students from the Universidad Católica de Cuenca are installing new solar lighting on the Mariano Moreno bridge. All this work will be done in the 2 weeks from 9/11.

And that’s all for today so hasta ? –

Jeanne

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