Peripheral Hospitals In Peril

ALLOW me a space in your constructive newspaper to address issues to which Health Minister Dr Kamwi needs to pay urgent attention. I personally visited Outapi, Tsandi and other peripheral hospitals and I noted several factors contributing to deaths of our people other than sickness.First of all is the sorry state of hygiene in these hospitals.

ALLOW me a space in your constructive newspaper to address issues to which Health Minister Dr Kamwi needs to pay urgent attention. I personally visited Outapi, Tsandi and other peripheral hospitals and I noted several factors contributing to deaths of our people other than sickness.First of all is the sorry state of hygiene in these hospitals. Hygiene is supposed to be in the first place as far as health is concerned. However, it’s such a great disappointment that the above-mentioned health institutions are characterised by excessively bad smells, due to poor and very old sanitation systems plus poor maintenance on the other hand. Urgent renovation of these buildings is required. Secondly, is the lack of laboratories where blood and other biological-fluids analysis are carried out. Doctors are failing to give right treatments and at the time when patients most need them, due to the results of analysis pending for three to four days. Please let decentralisation have a place within the health sector.Further, health personnel themselves. Here I would to focus on two main aspects: Language barriers and commitment. I personally witnessed communication blockage between our nurses and our medical doctors. All I could hear from our nurses was ‘Yes, Yes’ and ‘No, No’. No wonder patients are not getting the right treatment. Nurses are mediators between patients and doctors, but they are failing to report what exactly the patients are suffering from. I don’t mean they don’t have knowledge and skills in their professions, but their English communication skills need some improvement. Please organise special classes for them on the language, during workshops for instance.I would further like to emphasise and support the article which appeared in one of our newspapers on expectant mothers sleeping under the tree at Outapi hospital. This is a matter of fact and immediate response is needed. These people are not leaving their houses for fun – it’s because they are living far below the breadline. So there is no one to rush them to the hospital if they are to wait to go into labour. Please let us show some respect to them, they are our mothers.Lastly, I have an appeal to our leaders, politicians and all peace-lovers. Please let us not sow hatred and disunity among ourselves as it appears from our political annals of last year. Let us be inspired by the greatness of our country and goodness of our people. Please let’s campaign and vote in a peaceful atmosphere, come the November election.Ruben S KanimeVia e-mail