Outapi Hospital A Disgrace

ALLOW me space in your esteemed newspaper.

I would like to share my views regarding the unhygienic conditions prevailing at the Outapi District Hospital. I went to visit two of my relatives who were hospitalised at the Outapi District Hospital in the afternoon of the 23rd of December 2006.I arrived at 14h05; just five minutes after the door closed for the afternoon visiting hours.Because I came from a far village, I tried to convince the security guard to allow me to visit my people and leave before sunset.The security guard did not agree with my suggestion, stating that the restriction on visiting hours is enforced without exception.I had to wait until 18h00 for the evening visiting hours.My understanding of the restriction on visiting hours is threefold: to allow the cleaners to do their job, to allow the patients to take their medicine and have some rest, and to allow the hospital management to do their jobs.When the doors reopened at 18h00, I could not believe my eyes.It was disappointing to observe the unhygienic conditions under which the hospital is being operated.One wonders whether the hospital management does enforce management control and supervision at all.The very first observation I made in Wards A and D is the smell of toilets.This is a clear indication that the toilets are not cleaned, but are kept open.I could not establish whether the hospital does not have cleaning materials or if there are no cleaners to clean the wards.Nevertheless, I am sure that the hospital has employed fulltime cleaners and I am sure that the hospital can acquire cleaning materials.I can only assume the lack of interest, poor planning, and control on the part of the hospital management as key reasons for such status of affairs.The second observation I made is the cockroaches of all sizes crawling in the wards.Cockroaches are seen everywhere.This is not only unhygienic, but inhuman as well.Just like cleaning materials, I am sure that the hospital can acquire some type of insecticide available in the market.Again, the question to be answered is whether the management is interested at all and whether they plan and control accordingly.The third observation I made is the roof of the hospital, which is made of corrugated iron and without a ceiling.Of course, the hospital was built under the divide-and rule-apartheid colonial era.However, it was expanded and renovated after Independence.My experience tells me that the roof of corrugated iron without ceiling is suitable not for hospitals (at least not after almost 17 years of Independence) because when the outside temperature becomes high, the inside of the room become excessively hot.This is exactly what is happening at the Outapi Hospital.It is a well-known fact that during summer, it is very hot in the north and the corrugated iron roof absorbs the heat, while the interior of the wards becomes extremely hot.The patients in the hospital become weaker and sicker.Those patients who can afford it, bring their own fans.Those who cannot afford fans suffer not only from their illness, but from the heat as well.The question to be answered is what plan does the management have in place to renovate the roof of the wards and put air-conditioning units in the wards? The fourth observation I made is the maintenance of the hospital.The floor and water pipes in the wards are damaged and need urgent repair.The dirty and smelly water is just running on the floor.One only has to apply common sense and rectify the situation, unless there is no interest.Overcrowding is my fifth observation at the hospital.Therefore, I urge the Ministry of Health and Social Services to expand the hospital by adding new wards.Finally, I would like to invite the Honourable Minister of Health and Social Services to pay a surprise visit to the Outapi District Hospital in order to see for himself.Thank you for the space in your esteemed newspaper.Mayor Masa Osisia, OmbalantuI went to visit two of my relatives who were hospitalised at the Outapi District Hospital in the afternoon of the 23rd of December 2006.I arrived at 14h05; just five minutes after the door closed for the afternoon visiting hours.Because I came from a far village, I tried to convince the security guard to allow me to visit my people and leave before sunset.The security guard did not agree with my suggestion, stating that the restriction on visiting hours is enforced without exception.I had to wait until 18h00 for the evening visiting hours.My understanding of the restriction on visiting hours is threefold: to allow the cleaners to do their job, to allow the patients to take their medicine and have some rest, and to allow the hospital management to do their jobs.When the doors reopened at 18h00, I could not believe my eyes.It was disappointing to observe the unhygienic conditions under which the hospital is being operated.One wonders whether the hospital management does enforce management control and supervision at all.The very first observation I made in Wards A and D is the smell of toilets.This is a clear indication that the toilets are not cleaned, but are kept open.I could not establish whether the hospital does not have cleaning materials or if there are no cleaners to clean the wards.Nevertheless, I am sure that the hospital has employed fulltime cleaners and I am sure that the hospital can acquire cleaning materials.I can only assume the lack of interest, poor planning, and control on the part of the hospital management as key reasons for such status of affairs.The second observation I made is the cockroaches of all sizes crawling in the wards.Cockroaches are seen everywhere.This is not only unhygienic, but inhuman as well.Just like cleaning materials, I am sure that the hospital can acquire some type of insecticide available in the market.Again, the question to be answered is whether the management is interested at all and whether they plan and control accordingly.The third observation I made is the roof of the hospital, which is made of corrugated iron and without a ceiling.Of course, the hospital was built under the divide-and rule-apartheid colonial era.However, it was expanded and renovated after Independence.My experience tells me that the roof of corrugated iron without ceiling is suitable not for hospitals (at least not after almost 17 years of Independence) because when the outside temperature becomes high, the inside of the room become excessively hot.This is exactly what is happening at the Outapi Hospital.It is a well-known fact that during summer, it is very hot in the north and the corrugated iron roof absorbs the heat, while the interior of the wards becomes extremely hot.The patients in the hospital become weaker and sicker.Those patients who can afford it, bring their own fans.Those who cannot afford fans suffer not only from their illness, but from the heat as well.The question to be answered is what plan does the management have in place to renovate the roof of the wards and put air-conditioning units in the wards? The fourth observation I made is the maintenance of the hospital.The floor and water pipes in the wards are damaged and need urgent repair.The dirty and smelly water is just running on the floor.One only has to apply common sense and rectify the situation, unless there is no interest.Overcrowding is my fifth observation at the hospital.Therefore, I urge the Ministry of Health and Social Services to expand the hospital by adding new wards.Finally, I would like to invite the Honourable Minister of Health and Social Services to pay a surprise visit to the Outapi District Hospital in order to see for himself.Thank you for the space in your esteemed newspaper.Mayor Masa Osisia, Ombalantu