The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube, Senior Reporter
EKUSILENI Medical Centre in Bulawayo, which is set to be turned into a National Covid-19 isolation hospital has no single nurse to man the institution, it has been learnt.
According to the hospital’s acting chief executive officer, Dr Absalom Dube, the facility had 15 nurses seconded from the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) but they were recalled to their base after the Ministry of Health and Child Care reversed the decision.
The hospital, which has been closed for the past 16 years is set to be reopened as a national isolation centre with the Government directing that it be opened as a matter of urgency to become one of the first in the country to cater for extreme Covid-19 cases.
However, Dr Dube revealed that this could be further stalled as it was revealed that for the hospital to cater for the first 50 patients, it required a minimum of 48 nurses, but to date none had been fully seconded to the institution.
“A letter generated by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Child Care dated 20 April 2020 (Reference C/1/35) allocated 15 nurses to Ekusileni despite the need of 48 registered general nurses for the hospital to be able to cater for about 50 patients. We hoped this number will be reviewed upwards in the near future or rather allow Ekusileni to recruit permanent resident staff instead of relying on secondments and volunteers.
“Sadly, the United Bulawayo Hospitals acting CEO (Dr Narcisius Dzvanga) informed Ekusileni Hospital that he had received a communication from the ministry ordering him to withdraw the nurses seconded to Ekusileni Hospital and he advised us the same communication highlighted that we had to recruit staff on short contracts,” said Dr Dube.
He revealed that the decision to recall the nurses had come at a time when staff at the institution was meant to go for Covid-19 training.
“On a positive note, the Health Services Board advised us that we will receive nurse aides and general hand workers to be seconded from Mpilo Central Hospital, following the unfreezing of corresponding posts. Other indications were that we might get 15 more nurses from Mpilo and 20 from hospitals in Matabeleland North Province. Once staffing is done, training of staff should commence in earnest and will include aspects of Intensive Care nursing, anaesthetic component, including operation of a ventilator and intubation, as well as infection control protocols,” said Dr Dube.
He said it was imperative that key heads of departments be appointed sooner so that formal planning meetings begin to take place. Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr John Mangwiro expressed concern over the matter, saying he was going to look into to it and ensure that the hospital gets its required staff complement. He revealed that the 48 nurses that were required by the hospital were not even enough to cater for all the needs of the hospital noting that not only nurses were required for a hospital to function.
“The figure of 48 to 50 which you say is the initial requirement for you to be able to cater for 40 patients is not even enough, there are a whole lot more personnel that are needed for any hospital to function, from anaesthetists to doctors to other specialist nurses, therefore Ekusileni must give the ministry this detailed list without trying to be sincere.
“What I will do is I will engage the necessary individuals and ensure the necessary green light is given for the hospital to get all required staffers as a matter of urgency. In terms of Covid-19 training, I would suggest some form of cross pollination, that is taking trained nurses to come mix with those not trained, to help pass their knowledge,” said Dr Mangwiro.
The Deputy Minister said it was imperative for all systems to move with urgency in the re-opening of the hospital so as to aid the country’s efforts of containing the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
