Healthcare: Same old issues
There is, rightly so, a massive weight of expectation on the shoulders of healthcare workers doing service in public hospitals and clinics around the country. Nurses in particular, are at the frontline of healthcare in our country and need to be supported by being equipped and thoroughly trained in their respective disciplines. The challenges in the public sector are well documented and as highlighted in the last Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the state of health services, the negative attitudes of nurses, doctors and other hospital staff continues to rear its ugly head.
Of course, there are deep-seated operational problems preventing the majority of Namibians from accessing quality healthcare. However, administrative incompetence and the bad attitudes of hospital staff are some of the issues compromising proper healthcare in this country.
This newspaper's investigation recently found that the Katutura State Hospital was experiencing a critical shortage of basic supplies, while nurses have to manage with whatever is available. The poor patients, who are at their mercy, are treated with disrespect and arrogance, at a snail's pace. This is really uncalled for and it is high time that this disreputable state of affairs is once and for all addressed.
These high levels of unprofessionalism can regrettably lead to gross negligence as recently reported in the north where a mother lost her baby after giving birth on her own, while nurses were seemingly minding their own business.
We are saying it again that an attitude transplant is needed at the ministry of health to avoid tragic incidences of this nature. There are so many challenges on so many different levels that continue to haunt our health system to the detriment of those who are yearning for a proper national health infrastructure. Obviously, the budget cuts left a huge impact on the operations of many ministries, including health, but in our bid to save millions hospitals should not be allowed to make do with second-grade resources. And again, hospitals must be run efficiently by those who know how it should be done.
Of course, there are deep-seated operational problems preventing the majority of Namibians from accessing quality healthcare. However, administrative incompetence and the bad attitudes of hospital staff are some of the issues compromising proper healthcare in this country.
This newspaper's investigation recently found that the Katutura State Hospital was experiencing a critical shortage of basic supplies, while nurses have to manage with whatever is available. The poor patients, who are at their mercy, are treated with disrespect and arrogance, at a snail's pace. This is really uncalled for and it is high time that this disreputable state of affairs is once and for all addressed.
These high levels of unprofessionalism can regrettably lead to gross negligence as recently reported in the north where a mother lost her baby after giving birth on her own, while nurses were seemingly minding their own business.
We are saying it again that an attitude transplant is needed at the ministry of health to avoid tragic incidences of this nature. There are so many challenges on so many different levels that continue to haunt our health system to the detriment of those who are yearning for a proper national health infrastructure. Obviously, the budget cuts left a huge impact on the operations of many ministries, including health, but in our bid to save millions hospitals should not be allowed to make do with second-grade resources. And again, hospitals must be run efficiently by those who know how it should be done.
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Namibian Sun
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