Obrein Simasiku
OMUTHIYA – The health care facility at Omuthiya does not meet the requirements to be called a hospital, because it is not fully equipped with a functional theatre and it does not have anaesthetic equipment for the administering of drugs before surgery.
The Oshikoto regional Health Director, Peter Angala, who described the situation as one of the biggest challenges facing the health centre care facility, revealed this.
“People are flocking in numbers, because when they look at the facility they think it is a fully-fledged hospital, but it is not and it does not meet the standard of a hospital. We are doing little in helping them, thus mostly we are referring them to Onandjokwe intermediate hospital for further treatment,” stressed a concerned Angala. “We can only do normal deliveries, but premature and complicated pregnancies are referred to Onandjokwe because we do not have the facilities and equipment to operate, even though we have qualified doctors who can do it internally,” added Angala.
Due to the facility’s limitations an ambulance can transport more than five patients who are usually transferred to Onandjokwe, a practice he said is draining the ministry’s resources.
Furthermore, Angala said, he obtained and submitted a quotation of the anaesthetic machine, which is worth N$1.2 million.
“I hope they will prioritise this soonest, because my youthful doctors are also threatening to leave the hospital because their skills are going down the drain hence they want to move to health facilities with a good environment,” stated Angala, saying by August he will only be having two doctors, because one is leaving already.
He said one doctor has been sent for training in anaesthetic. “The Deputy Minister of Works, James Sankwasa was here, and I toured with him through the hospital, and he saw how bad the situation is. We want to save more lives but now we are not saving any. However, in general I would say we are doing the best that we can in offering the available services,” he stressed.