OSHIKANGO – The Ohangwena region introduced its first-ever health directorate award to recognise hospitals that are doing their best in the provision of patient healthcare.

Out of the three state hospitals, namely Engela, Eenhana and Okongo, the latter was awarded the best overall performing hospital in the region in almost all departments. Engela was awarded as the cleanest hospital in the region.

At an awards ceremony held recently in Oshikango, regional health director John Hango said the aim is to motivate nurses and other health professionals to compete and work hard in pursuit of improving patient care.

“What pushed us as a region to initiate an idea of this nature is that our offices have been inundated with complaints of poor quality of patient care, negative attitudes of staff members, and the neglect of patients,” he said.

The complaints went as far as a slowness in helping patients, coupled with long waiting hours.

Hango stressed that nurses are expected to improve client satisfaction and reduce community and patients’ gripes.

The region’s chief registered nurse, Josephine Hango, said this will be an annual event and will be named the governor’s health awarding ceremony. 

Regional governor Walde Ndevashiya indicated that despite various districts’ hard work towards providing the best services to patients, the region is still in need of a referral hospital.

“It can be very challenging financially to transport patients to other regions when they get referrals, because we do not have one in the region. We are asking the government to come through and hear us out on this,” he pleaded.

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