Patients and doctors butt heads amid acute staff shortages

Doctors at Katutura Health Centre – formerly known as Black Chain Clinic – are allegedly being harassed by frustrated patients and claim they are afraid to take lunch breaks or fetch their children from school, all while queues of unattended patients continue to grow due to a critical shortage of medical staff.But the issue extends beyond Katutura. Patients from other state clinics across Windhoek have raised the alarm, saying a dire lack of medical personnel is not only frustrating but potentially life-threatening.Operating 24 hours a day, the Katutura Health Centre receives overflow patients from surrounding clinics that close at 17:00. Patients who were not seen during the day are bussed to the health centre, where they must join already lengthy queues and start the process all over again."Sometimes you’ve been waiting all day, and just as you’re about to be seen – maybe three people ahead of you – it’s 5 o’clock and the staff leave. Then you’re taken to Katutura and find yourself behind 40 others,” one patient said.Systematic failureWhat was once a symbol of hope for the community has now become a site of growing despair, as patients, some of whom are in severe pain, wait for hours or return on multiple days, only to leave unseen.The crisis gained national attention after a viral Facebook video showed empty consulting rooms and distressed patients waiting without help. The footage ignited public outrage and renewed calls for urgent intervention from the ministry of health.“They just tell us to wait for the next shift, but no one can say when that will be,” said the patient who filmed the video. “We are sick, we are in pain, and we’re being sent home with nothing.”She recounted how she had visited the clinic two days in a row without receiving treatment. “Both times, there were only two doctors on duty. One was called to an emergency in paediatrics, leaving just one to see everyone – until she also had to leave.”Patients allege that even during peak hours, only a handful of doctors are available to manage crowds of more than 100 people. Members of the public accuse some doctors of disappearing for extended lunch breaks or emergencies, often without explanation. Many are told to return later, with no guarantee of being seen.“It’s a systematic failure,” another patient remarked. “This has been going on for years. Long queues, too few doctors, and some don’t even return from lunch on time. People leave without being helped every single day.”1 300 patients a dayDoctors at the facility say they are being unfairly blamed and refuse to be scapegoated for what they describe as a failure of the healthcare system.“Both patients and doctors are suffering,” one doctor said. “We’re entitled to take our breaks or fetch our children, yet we’re harassed by angry patients – some even record us on their phones or swear at us.”Another doctor added: “In the past, people could go straight to Katutura State Hospital. Now they must first go through the clinic before being referred. The clinics are overwhelmed. You’d think you’re at the Katutura State Hospital judging by the sheer number of patients.”Katutura Health Centre is the only 24-hour primary health care facility in the area, serving an estimated 140 000 residents. According to ministry of health spokesperson Walters Kamaya, the clinic handles around 1 300 patients daily.Kamaya confirmed that the viral footage was filmed during a night shift, when only two doctors are typically on duty – one for emergencies and another for outpatients. “Ideally, we need at least three or more doctors after 17:00,” he acknowledged.The ministry attributes the crisis to limited staffing and overwhelming patient numbers. With Katutura State Hospital no longer accepting walk-ins, the burden on the health centre continues to mount.“With only six emergency beds and doctors stretched across the entire Khomas Region, we’re doing our best with what we have,” Kamaya said.Deserve betterBut for many patients, that’s simply not enough.“I’ve had surgery before, and now I’m in constant pain. I can’t even sleep,” said the woman who shared the viral video. “I went to Windhoek Central Hospital, where they treated me but couldn’t admit me. I came back here hoping for help, but after a whole day, I left with nothing.”Residents are now calling for urgent staff reinforcements and improved management of clinic operations.“What’s the point of a 24-hour facility if there are no doctors available?” one patient asked. “We deserve better.” - nikanor@nmh-hub.com.na

Patients and doctors butt heads amid acute staff shortages

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-01

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Patients and doctors butt heads amid acute staff shortages

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-01

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