The Sunday News
Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
THE lack of critical resources such as drugs and essential medical equipment as well as shortage of staff has been blamed for low morale at public health institutions with calls for improved public relations and efficiency in service growing louder.
The calls come in the wake of surprise visits to central hospitals in the country last month by First Lady Cde Auxillia Mnangagwa that uncovered a lot of reluctance and in some cases pure dereliction of duty by hospital staff.
The chief executive officer of Mpilo Central Hospital, Mr Leonard Mabandi, said the surprise visit served as a wake-up call for his institution.
“It was a very positive visit indeed as we have learnt that we have to keep things in order in all our operations as our principals can come in at any moment to see how we are working,” he said.
He admitted the need for the institution to work on improving its public relations and efficiency in dealing with patients.
“We need to improve on public relations. We are working under difficult conditions, we have few drugs, equipment and the doctor to patient ratio and nurse to patient ratio is quite alarming, it’s way above the normal ratio. These challenges put a lot of emotional pressure on staff members and at the end of the day they do not present themselves in a positive way to patients,” he lamented.
He said the conditions at hospitals make staff members look like they were not putting the welfare of patients first but they would be working under frustrating circumstances.
The CEO said if conditions of service for hospital staff was improved and supplies of the necessary equipment worked on, the stereotypes associated with Government hospitals were likely to change.
“Nurses, doctors and general hospital staff, if they work under a conducive environment, they perform better. So we are waiting for the improvement since we have a new political dispensation in the country. We are optimistic there will be meaningful changes,” he said.
Mr Mabandi said they were working hard to rectify areas that were pointed out to them by the First Lady during her visit.
The First Lady also visited United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) where she joined a queue at the reception just like an ordinary citizen and she was served.
The First Lady was quoted in the media applauding UBH staff for working hard.
“You are doing great work caring for our patients despite the shortage of resources. I am sure you are aware of the prevailing economic situation in the country. I hope that some of the critical problems facing the institution will be addressed in due course when funds permit,” she said.
The First Lady visited the out-patients, paediatric, maternity and nursery units of the different hospitals.
She said she was impressed that the nursing staff was well dressed and neat but lamented the snaking queues of patients who were not attended to for hours.
Among other challenges noted in the central hospitals were the shortage of ambulances, drugs, medical equipment and manpower which the First Lady said the Government was going to look into.
The First Lady paid her first surprise visit to Harare Central Hospital to get an appreciation of problems facing the health institution as well as acquaint herself with operations.
During the visit she was told of the myriad of challenges that the hospital was facing through interactions with patients and members of staff who did not recognise that she was the First Lady.
Harare Central Hospital, is the busiest hospital in the country, offering services to over 1 200 in-patients and 900 out-patients/casualties daily. The hospital has 22 wards in the general hospital, a large maternity hospital, a psychiatric unit, as well as a tropical diseases unit.
Cde Mnangagwa’s visit has already witnessed changes at the country’s health centres where efficacy has improved while medical resources and equipment are largely expected to improve.
