Tomas Nehale

ON Tuesday, 22 August 2023, the New Era newspaper reported that "A security guard at the Ou Nick Health Centre in Oshakati West has landed in hot water over examining patients." 

This headline aroused mixed sentiments and views from the public. What has really led to this situation? Something is not adding up here.

I think, before the security guard gets in hot water - the hospital management and the nurses who were on duty on that specific day must be held accountable. The latter deserve to be put in hot water for tolerating such nonsense and for being negligent, not necessarily the security guard. 

It was further reported that the guard has been habitually attending to patients as a normal practice. 

Now the question is; Was she ordered to examine patients or did she do it voluntarily? 

This alarming situation has driven people to give different thoughts and critiques on the matter. 

Some are supporting the security guard and others are criticising it. People who are siding with the security guard are somehow wrong. Let us respect the medical profession, as it is a very sensitive profession. 

Such an act would compromise the integrity and the status of the health profession. 

If the security guard happens to give wrong treatment to the patients, obviously their lives would be in danger. 

Imagine, if trained medical personnel can also make mistakes - how about a mere security guard? It was also reported that the guard goes through the health passports of the patients which is wrong because it compromises the confidentiality of patients and the ethos of the health profession. William Osler was not wrong when he said: "He who studies medicine without books, sails an uncharted sea, but he who studies medicine without patients does not go to sea at all." 

On the other hand, the whole incident of a guard working beyond her scope of practice or job description is a clear indication that there is a huge gap that needs to be addressed, in terms of staff shortage, and so on.  

Therefore, more nurses and doctors need to be employed.  

There are amicable ways of ironing out this dilemma, rather than just looking at the negative side of it.  

From the look of things, the security guard perhaps noticed that the patient was in a critical condition and left unattended, so with her basic nursing knowledge, she decided to examine the patient. 

Let us not crucify her nor put her in hot water - like it was reported. Do not judge the book by its cover. She could instinctively treat a patient better than some of the irresponsible nurses. 

To cement my argument, Alpha Emerson once said: "Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. Life is an experiment and getting fired is nature's way of telling you that you had the wrong job in the first place."

I guess she has a profound passion or dream of becoming a nurse one day. All she needs is motivation and a helping hand to go back to school and pursue her dream. Lastly, no one would want to be treated by a security guard. In most cases, we are, however, not passionately happy with the job we are doing, we are just limited by situations. 

Life is unfair though. When a security guard performs the duties of an educated professional (nurse), it becomes a problem. But, if a nurse performs the basic duties of a poor security guard, it cannot be a problem.

* Tomas Nehale is a social activist.