Health services ‘not up to standard’

WINDHOEK – Standards in Namibia’s health services are a point of concern for many and have been highlighted during recent campaigning by political parties.

It is often claimed that doctors are rarely available, clinics are poorly equipped and painkillers such as Panado are dished out as treatment for any condition. “The medicine that is popular these days is Panado.That is proof that the medicine is not close to being enough,” says Helena Haukongo, a casual worker at NDC.Haukongo says she has visited the Robert Mugabe clinic in Windhoek three times recently and each time she had arrived in the early morning and only left at 16h00 in the afternoon.”I came at 08h00 in the morning to see the doctor and it’s now 14h00 in the afternoon and I am still waiting,” says Haukongo.She says the ticket system used by nurses should be organised so that those who arrive first are attended to first, instead of those coming early being treated last.She also urged the government to ensure that every clinic, health centre and hospital has enough medicine.”If the medicine is only at Katutura [hospital], it’s difficult because sometimes I only have enough money to get from where I live in Olympia to the clinic in town.If I then have to take a taxi to Katutura, how will I get back home?” she asks.POOR SERVICE Haukongo also complains that nurses and security guards at health facilities often treat patients badly.”If I don’t know my way around then who am I supposed to get information from?” Haukongo asks.”But instead of answering nicely, they insult you and sometimes look at you and say nothing.They are supposed to answer in a polite way, not in a harsh way,” she adds.Katrina Rooinasie, a Grade 10 student at Eldorado High School in Khomasdal, says there are not enough clinics in Namibia.”Yesterday I was sent back home from the Katutura clinic.They said the people were too many and we should come back on Wednesday,” she adds.Rooinasie, who lives in Okuryangava, says she only came to Katutura clinic because she was told her normal clinic in Donkerhoek was already full.”Nurses should also be faster when rendering services so that everyone can be accommodated.I have a strong feeling that even doctors and nurses cause people’s deaths, because people wait and wait and at the end of the day are sent back home without being treated,” she says.Stage manager at the National Theatre of Namibia, Erasmus Hamunjela, says he went to the Robert Mugabe clinic because it was close to his work.After sustaining an injury, he asked his boss if he could go to the clinic but when he got there he was sent home, because all the tickets for patients had already been handed out for that day.”Nurses and doctors are too used to their work and they just don’t care anymore.They don’t even work that fast anymore, they are terribly slow,” he said.SHORTAGES Fritzo Gawanab, a mechanic in Katutura, also feels there should be more clinics.”Windhoek has grown into a big city.I live in Okahandja Park, but have to come to this side of the town [Robert Mugabe Street] for a clinic, and this is very far for me,” he says.About 2000 patients nationwide are using clinics and health centres on a daily basis, says Dr Ali Elshirif, the Chief Medical Officer at the Ministry of Health and Social Services.Director of Primary Health Care in Windhoek, Dr Magdaleena Ngatanga, concedes that there is a shortage of staff as not all posts are filled.”The Ministry is in the process of filling these posts,” she says.The Public Relations Officer at the Ministry of Health and Social Services, Ndapandula Kashiykuile, says about 60 Namibians studied medicine in 2002 and about 76 in 2003.Haukongo feels that more people should study to be doctors to prevent people who are seriously ill being sent home because of staff shortages.”The nurses are enough but not the doctors.Like today, between 50 and 100 people are waiting for one doctor,” she says.Attempts to obtain comment from the Namibia Nursing Association on claims that some nurses are unprofessional in their approach to patients proved futile, despite a series of attempts to contact the organisation over a period of three weeks.- Nampa-Echoes News Service (Polytechnic)”The medicine that is popular these days is Panado.That is proof that the medicine is not close to being enough,” says Helena Haukongo, a casual worker at NDC.Haukongo says she has visited the Robert Mugabe clinic in Windhoek three times recently and each time she had arrived in the early morning and only left at 16h00 in the afternoon.”I came at 08h00 in the morning to see the doctor and it’s now 14h00 in the afternoon and I am still waiting,” says Haukongo.She says the ticket system used by nurses should be organised so that those who arrive first are attended to first, instead of those coming early being treated last.She also urged the government to ensure that every clinic, health centre and hospital has enough medicine.”If the medicine is only at Katutura [hospital], it’s difficult because sometimes I only have enough money to get from where I live in Olympia to the clinic in town.If I then have to take a taxi to Katutura, how will I get back home?” she asks.POOR SERVICE Haukongo also complains that nurses and security guards at health facilities often treat patients badly.”If I don’t know my way around then who am I supposed to get information from?” Haukongo asks.”But instead of answering nicely, they insult you and sometimes look at you and say nothing.They are supposed to answer in a polite way, not in a harsh way,” she adds.Katrina Rooinasie, a Grade 10 student at Eldorado High School in Khomasdal, says there are not enough clinics in Namibia.”Yesterday I was sent back home from the Katutura clinic.They said the people were too many and we should come back on Wednesday,” she adds.Rooinasie, who lives in Okuryangava, says she only came to Katutura clinic because she was told her normal clinic in Donkerhoek was already full.”Nurses should also be faster when rendering services so that everyone can be accommodated.I have a strong feeling that even doctors and nurses cause people’s deaths, because people wait and wait and at the end of the day are sent back home without being treated,” she says.Stage manager at the National Theatre of Namibia, Erasmus Hamunjela, says he went to the Robert Mugabe clinic because it was close to his work.After sustaining an injury, he asked his boss if he could go to the clinic but when he got there he was sent home, because all the tickets for patients had already been handed out for that day.”Nurses and doctors are too used to their work and they just don’t care anymore.They don’t even work that fast anymore, they are terribly slow,” he said.SHORTAGES Fritzo Gawanab, a mechanic in Katutura, also feels there should be more clinics.”Windhoek has grown into a big city.I live in Okahandja Park, but have to come to this side of the town [Robert Mugabe Street] for a clinic, and this is very far for me,” he says.About 2000 patients nationwide are using clinics and health centres on a daily basis, says Dr Ali Elshirif, the Chief Medical Officer at the Ministry of Health and Social Services.Director of Primary Health Care in Windhoek, Dr Magdaleena Ngatanga, concedes that there is a shortage of staff as not all posts are filled.”The Ministry is in the process of filling these posts,” she says. The Public Relations Officer at the Ministry of Health and Social Services, Ndapandula Kashiykuile, says about 60 Namibians studied medicine in 2002 and about 76 in 2003.Haukongo feels that more people should study to be doctors to prevent people who are seriously ill being sent home because of staff shortages.”The nurses are enough but not the doctors.Like today, between 50 and 100 people are waiting for one doctor,” she says.Attempts to obtain comment from the Namibia Nursing Association on claims that some nurses are unprofessional in their approach to patients proved futile, despite a series of attempts to contact the organisation over a period of three weeks.- Nampa-Echoes News Service (Polytechnic)