PRESIDENT Hage Geingob has defended the condition of Katutura Intermediate Hospital amid claims that the institution is in a deplorable state.
The hospital, which was commissioned in 1973, has over the years been in the news because of its dilapidated infrastructure, maintenance issues, rodent problem and medicine shortages. Geingob made a surprise visit to the hospital on Friday, following images that were circulating online, depicting the decaying infrastructure and grim conditions in parts of the hospital.
The health ministry last week clarified that the photos which showed a flooded floor were taken three years before and therefore did not reflect the current situation in that particular section of the hospital, namely the Gastro Unit.
The photos also showed flooded floors of the hospital’s eighth floor, where the children’s ward is located. People on social media have been expressing concern that the state of the hospital cannot remain this way at a time the country is celebrating 30 years of independence.
After his visit, the president took to social media stating that the hospital is “generally clean and maintenance of health equipment is satisfactory”.
“The renovations, which are currently underway and budgeted for will lead to improvements in the quality of health services provided for at the facility. Three hundred and seventy three staff vacancies are in the process of being filled to deal with staff shortages,” he said.
Geingob further noted that the plan to build a district hospital for Katutura is underway and will lead to a decrease in pressure on Katutura Intermediate Hospital.
“For improved service delivery, I will make unexpected inspections of this nature to government institutions and facilities that provide services to Namibians,” he said.
When asked by a journalist on the deteriorating wall on the eight floor, Geingob questioned why only one part of the hospital was being pointed out, while noting that the hospital is old.
“And I am looking at the floor but you didn’t ask me why it is clean. You are coming to one place. How come you didn’t ask me when I came in how it looks… It’s one place, what about the whole hospital. They are going to fix it, it is budgeted for. It’s an old hospital,” he said.
RENOVATIONS
IN PLACE
Shangula said the ministry has a budget in place to renovate the most critical areas of the hospital in phases.
The minister said during the next financial year, they will be focusing on plumbing, water- proofing the roof, drainage of respective floors and any other section of the hospital where there is a need for emergency maintenance.
The renovation and maintenance will be done through the Central Procurement Board where a contractor will be selected.
The minister said they have been experiencing a shortage of staff as the size of the workload has increased for the last staff establishment at the ministry, which was approved in 2003, which was appropriate for that time.
For these reasons, Shangula said 373 staff vacancies have been approved for the hospital. To reduce the workload, he said they had also opened the Katatura Health Centre last year as a 24-hour operation and hired additional doctors, nurses and pharmacists.
He noted that the ministry had also tackled the medicine shortages which was an issue last year.
THERE ARE CHALLENGES
Nangombe conceded that some of the challenges arise because of the ongoing growth in Windhoek’s population.
“There is no denying that there are challenges facing the health sector. The population of Windhoek has increased tremendously over the years,” he said.
Nangombe said: “Examples are the challenges we meet at the maternity ward for this hospital. The capacity of the maternity ward is 100 people, however, because of the increasing number of people you find that over a period of a year, the average at that ward is about 60-70% more.”
He further said because of the limited space, they are left with no options but to provide mattresses instead of sending them back home.
“It is better that we have them here and welcome them here because this is what we call health seeking behaviour and it is important that the mothers give birth in a hospital setting instead of sending them away,” he said.
Nangombe said this is why the ministry plans building the district hospital in order to decongest Katutura Intermediate Hospital.
“A district hospital is where these activities should take place and because we don’t have that, we are planning to build. This is going to change,” he said.
