OSHAKATI – A security guard at the Ou Nick Health Centre in Oshakati West has landed in hot water over examining patients.

 She has also been reading their health passports, roles only reserved for trained nurses.

This reporter witnessed a female security officer attending to patients by taking their vitals, including weight, body temperature, blood pressure and pulse rate. She also recorded the same details onto their health passports.

At some point, she stopped the checks to read from the passports and give directions to the patients. 

The guard, New Era understands, neither has the expertise nor had permission to handle patients at the clinic. 

“You need to wait for a nurse to draw blood for malaria examination,” she said to one of the patients. 

Later, a nursing student came to assist her and they carried out the examinations together. 

As this was happening, qualified nurses would walk through the crowded waiting area, to and from the examination rooms, as the patients queued up to be attended to by the guard. It was business as usual, at least from an onlooker’s perspective. 

When New Era reached out to a senior nurse at the clinic, Katrina Amuele via telephonic inquiry, she was “very shocked and surprised”, by the incident.

“I was also at the clinic on Saturday but I have not seen anything like that happening. We held a meeting on Sunday morning after I received a call from my seniors. The security officer admitted, saying that she did it on her own,” she said.

According to Amuele, the guard only wanted to assist the nurses.

“She has no right to touch patients. She does not know how to take those readings; how can she do that? I have warned her on a serious note not to ever do that,” Amuele fumed. 

Speaking to this paper through Amuele’s phone, the guard sounded uncomfortable. 

“I asked a student nurse if I could assist her, since she was alone,” the guard said. 

When asked if she had received any medical training, the guard retorted, saying she learned by observing the nurses.

Meanwhile, a patient, who identified herself as Nelago Thomas, said that she has been visiting the clinic at least once a month, contradicted Amuele’s version. 

“Security officers here touch patients and take our vitals. This is nothing new. They take patients’ information instead of maintaining safety at the facility premises,” Thomas said. 

Another patient who spoke on condition of anonymity was surprised to see a guard recording his health details. 

“I could see that she was wearing a security uniform but I didn’t question her. At some point, I thought to myself that maybe she was a student nurse. So I obeyed her instructions,” he said.

What is more, Anelly Simeon from Oshakati felt uncomfortable to have her son screened by a security guard while the professionals looked on, as if to say everything was normal. 

“I am not sure if what she wrote on the passport was correct. I am a teacher by profession, but I would not dare write anything on a health passport. What do I know about nursing? 

“I have seen registered nurses passing here, watching as the security lady takes the vitals of the patients which shows that it is a normal practice here,” the concerned parent said. 

Approached for comment, Oshana health director Johanna Haimene said the allegations were news to her.

“We as the Ministry of Health and Social Services will investigate to find out if what is reported here is true or not for us to take appropriate actions,” said Haimene.

She added that if the allegations were true, “then it is not right at all.”

- vkaapanda@nepc.com.na