One doctor, over 100 patients a day
NEWS IN SHORT
One doctor at Rundu Intermediate Hospital attends to more than 100 patients per day due to ongoing staff shortages.
A senior department head confirmed the figure this week to Namibian Sun.
The hospital was reclassified from a district facility to an intermediate referral hospital several years ago.
Despite this, the clinic has not undergone any comprehensive modernisation since 2008.
Neither the infrastructure nor the staffing structure has been adapted to the growing number of patients since then.
Its current catchment area includes Kavango East, Kavango West the Zambezi regions, as well as southern Angola. Patients continue to bypass local clinics and seek care directly at the hospital.
This issue was recently confirmed by the hospital’s management.
Medical superintendent Dr Theresia Shivera told Namibian Sun that a staff recruitment plan has been approved to address the shortage.
“We are hoping that the newly approved staff recruitment plan will address the shortage. As always, it won’t happen overnight," Shivera said.
The internal medicine department currently has two specialists, eight medical doctors, and six medical interns, totalling 16 medical staff excluding nurses.
-Phillipus Josef
A senior department head confirmed the figure this week to Namibian Sun.
The hospital was reclassified from a district facility to an intermediate referral hospital several years ago.
Despite this, the clinic has not undergone any comprehensive modernisation since 2008.
Neither the infrastructure nor the staffing structure has been adapted to the growing number of patients since then.
Its current catchment area includes Kavango East, Kavango West the Zambezi regions, as well as southern Angola. Patients continue to bypass local clinics and seek care directly at the hospital.
This issue was recently confirmed by the hospital’s management.
Medical superintendent Dr Theresia Shivera told Namibian Sun that a staff recruitment plan has been approved to address the shortage.
“We are hoping that the newly approved staff recruitment plan will address the shortage. As always, it won’t happen overnight," Shivera said.
The internal medicine department currently has two specialists, eight medical doctors, and six medical interns, totalling 16 medical staff excluding nurses.
-Phillipus Josef
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