Meat in exchange for medicineat Dordabis clinic

A nurse at the Dordabis Clinic has revealed serious malpractice at the clinic. This includes nurses accepting bribes in the form of meat in exchange for medication and the use of expired vaccines on children.

The nurse, Natasha Swartbooi (35), says some of her colleagues have been accepting meat from local farmers in exchange for medication, especially when they do not want to stand in the long queues.

“They would give medication in return for meat, and those people would avoid standing in line like everyone else. They just come straight to the nurses, hand over the meat, and get what they need,” she says.

The community of Dordabis has about 2 000 residents.

Swaartbooi, who has served in the profession for over 10 years, describes the practice as widespread and alarming.

“Especially when we started, we received three packs of meat from one farm. But lately, it’s individuals from nearby farms bringing meat and getting medication for their own personal use.”

Swaartbooi yesterday told The Namibian there have been unexplained disappearances of essential medication.

“Recently, five containers of paracetamol disappeared while I was on leave. Each container holds 1 000 tablets, and there’s no way that many could have been used in just a week. I reported it, but I’ve yet to receive a response from the ministry,” she added.

She emphasised that the situation at the clinic not only compromises the safety of patients but also undermines trust in healthcare system.

She said this is not the only concern at the clinic, as vaccines meant for infants have allegedly been administered past their expiration dates.

“The vaccine for measles, rubella – it’s supposed to be used within six hours of opening. However, I have seen some of my colleagues using it even after the six-hour window has passed. This is dangerous,” she said.

She singled out a particular nurse for negligence, saying that her colleague often failed to record the time of opening the vaccines, leading to expired doses being given to children.

“She doesn’t write the time or the date when the vaccine is diluted. So how will she know that six hours have passed? Regardless, she continues using it. This is putting children’s lives at risk,” she said.

Swaartbooi said attempts to report these concerns to higher authorities have allegedly been ignored.

“I’ve been reporting these issues for three years, but no action has been taken. I even tried contacting the district nursing services, but nothing changed,” she said.

She called on the Ministry of Health and Social Services to take immediate action to address the alleged malpractice and hold those responsible accountable.

“I don’t fear losing my job. These are serious allegations, and it’s time for someone to take responsibility,” she said.

One of the security guards at the clinic who prefers to remain anonymous has confirmed that there are cases of medical staff receiving meat in exchange for medication.

“Exchange of meat from farmers to the nurses is very common at this clinic,” the security guard says.

Health ministry spokesperson Walter Kamaya says the ministry has taken note of the videos posted on social media, and they are trying to engage their colleague and offer any kind of support that she may require from them.

“On the issue of the meat for medication scheme and the administration of expired vaccines on patients, we all know that bad practices don’t always happen openly. If such practices are happening at the clinic, these are subject to investigation and the provision of evidence.

“We will be in a better position to provide detailed information after the investigation is completed,” he says.