Africa-Press – Namibia. Residents of Eunda in the Omusati region have started losing patience over a state clinic that was built more than 60 years ago and still remains a clinic, instead of being upgraded to a health centre.
The clinic has continued offering the same limited basic health services with referrals to Onesi health centre, bringing it under the spotlight and criticisms from disgruntled patients.
Speaking at a meeting, convened by a community committee that oversees the affairs of the clinic last week, residents who were given a chance to air their grievances, pointed to a number of issues they believe deserve serious intervention.
Of critical importance to them is the fact that the health establishment has remained just a clinic for all those years since its construction, and the people are now calling for its upgrading to a health centre.
“For how long is it going to remain just a clinic? Why can the ministry not upgrade it so we can have our own doctors here and enough nurses and never have to go to Onesi, Outapi or Tsandi again?” asked a resident. Some people suffering from high blood pressure also complained of a shortage of medicines at the clinic and that their medical reports/health cards sometimes get lost especially when the cards are sent to the health centres for the allocation of their prescribed medicines.
“Most of the time, we are informed that there is no stock of medicines and our cards cannot be found. This is very concerning, we need to understand what is happening,” said one patient.
Some residents claimed the quality of services offered at the clinic had deteriorated over the past four years because the staff open late, keeping patients in long queues.
“We need change. Sometimes we come here very early in the morning and just lie around waiting for the clinic to open, but the nurses open late – at around 10h00 instead of 08h00. What kind of service is that?” asked one villager.
The disgruntled community members said nurses were always busy on their phones browsing through social media platforms like TikTok while patients waited to be assisted.
Committee chairperson Makwa Kapuka clarified that a new registered nurse had been brought in and cannot be blamed for what the other nurses who had left had been doing. He said it is now up to her to improve the service delivery and meet the expectations of the people in terms of opening hours and delivery speed.
New Era also learnt that the new nurse had snubbed the government accommodation at the clinic, opting to rent outside as the rooms at the clinic in a mess.
Justifying her decision to rent a room to the committee and residents, the nurse said the ceiling was falling off and there were bats that nestled in the roof and their droppings were all over the place.
“Unfortunately, I cannot stay in a place like that, so I moved even though it will require me to walk every morning to work,” she said.
Residents demand that enough nurses be brought to the clinic as there is only that one registered nurse attending to everything and everyone; this makes her start her work late due to the workload.
“The population has grown, and we cannot be treated the same way as in the years the population of the place was smaller. It is time the services changed too,” said one man.
The people also highlighted the need for a shed to protect patients from the hot sun as the space where they seek shelter from the sun is too small.
The community also pointed to the need for a wheelchair and a ramp to ease the burden as very sick patients are sometimes dropped off by cars or donkey-drawn carts outside the clinic yard and have to be carried into the clinic.
The community also complained that pensioners are sometimes disrespected by the youth in the long queues at the clinic.
“Some people will tell elders that if they want to be assisted first, they must come to the clinic on time. Young people refuse to allow elders to be assisted first, they insist they must join the queue,” a security guard at the clinic said.
The meeting agreed that everyone must exercise moral behaviour and allow pensioners to be assisted first or there be two queues – one for pensioners.
Kapuka said the community’s cries were heard and the clinic was renovated last year, bringing a slight relief to the community.
“We will continue to knock on the doors of the government to assist us to improve the accommodation situation and a lot of other issues you raised,” Kapuka told his fellow residents at the meeting.
Approached for comment on Tuesday, director of health in Omusati region, Dr Alfons Amoomo said he had not received a submission for the clinic to be upgraded.
He said nurses who spend time on private phone calls on duty should be reported to the directorate.
He dismissed claims of a shortage of nurses at the clinic, saying the enrolled nurse was sent for a bridging course and comes to assist during recess.
Amoomo said the second registered nurse’s contract expired; interviews were conducted to fill the position and await approval for appointment. He said the provision of “accommodation is a privilege not a condition for employment”, before promising the matter will be dealt with in the next financial year when accommodation will be budgeted for. Amoomo also pushed the shed issue to the next financial year where it will be considered.
“The committee needs to report nurses who are showing up late to work for corrective measures,” Amoomo said.
On claims of medicine shortages, the health director commented: “We have essential anti-hypertension medications, however, only one is out of stock. Most clients have opted not to change to the alternate drug and prefer to buy from private pharmacies.”
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