Dire situation grips Sally Mugabe Hospital
…staff forced to carry corpses down the stairs
KUDAKWASHE CHIBVURI
A grim situation has gripped Sally Mugabe Hospital with staff being forced to ferry deceased patients down the stairs due to malfunctioning elevators while incessant power cuts have also affected mortuaries in developments that are mentally affecting nurses and other staff at the hospital, an investigation by Business Times show.
Compounding the crisis is also the water crisis that has seen staff at the hospital demanding that patients bring own water from home or buy from nearby dealers.
Several people who spoke to Business Times painted a gloomy picture of the state of affairs at the institution with many confirming that staff was being forced dead bodies downstairs and to the mortuary.
Some have resigned in protest.
Patients in severe pain are also faced to walk up and down the stairs and there was no appetite from authorities to fix the elevator.
“The situation here is dire. Some have resigned because of this. Imagine carrying a deceased person down the stairs. It is traumatising.”
“The situation is so stressful. The stairs are not working and it’s frustrating. You can imagine the stress patients go through, imagine what their relatives go through. It’s a crisis,” one of the staff members said.
“We are often told to bring our own water or buy it at the tuck shop for $1.70 per five litres. It’s overwhelming to deal with illness in the family while also worrying about basic needs like water.”
The hospital’s emergency response has also come under fire. Many patients have reported long waiting times.
“I came here at 4 a.m. and still haven’t been seen by 4 p.m. they have collected our money but we haven’t received any assistance. We need the government to intervene,” a patient said.
It also emerged the hospital was operating without adequate beds
Some of the patients who were admitted to Ward B3 told the Business Times reporter that there is a serious shortage of beds and wheelchairs. This shortage has significantly impacted patients, as they often have to wait for others to leave before they can take a bed.
The Business Times news team was harassed by security personnel during the investigations and efforts to get official comment from officials at the hospital were fruitless.
They referred questions to the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
However, during a recent budget consultation in Parliament before the portfolio Committee on Health, Dr. Masanga Mutede, acting director of Family Health Ministry of Health and Child Care painted a dim picture of the crisis.
“You arrive at the hospital and see a building with no maintenance, with floors that are cracked. This reflects the quality of service we are able to provide.” she said.
“In our maternity ward, we usually admit eight people to a room, and often mothers must lay on the floor due to a lack of beds. This is unacceptable.” she said.
“The ministry is working on a strategy to centralize procurement of medicines to ensure that our institutions are restocked. Currently, we face a dire shortage.”
