Keetmanshoop
Residents of Keetmanshoop and surrounding areas are flocking to the region’s hospital to get treatment from specialists stationed at the hospital.
The team compromising of about 20 doctors, each experts in their field, arrived in the Karas Region capital on Monday as part of the Ministry of Health and Social Services’ national surgical and medical outreach programme.
Speaking at the hospital the coordinator of the programme, Dr Ruben Kanime, told New Era the team of specialists who have volunteered their services will be divided into two groups, with one team to be based at Lüderitz.
He said the main aim of the programme is to give medical attention to the local people, instead of people having to travel to Windhoek to seek medical help, which will in turn reduce the number of patients being referred to the state hospitals in Windhoek.
He noted it is also a cost-cutting measure for the health ministry as it costs much more for the state when patients are referred to Windhoek hospitals than when doctors travel to the regions.
“Patients are referred to Windhoek when they need to see specialists and referrals are more costly than when doctors come to the region,” he confirmed.
The specialist doctors will be very busy with consultations, operations, simulations and academic presentations as a way to impart knowledge to their colleagues permanently stationed at the hospital, which will ensure staff are able to help as much as they possibly can even when specialists are not around, especially in cases of emergencies.
“Doctors are also training nurses to identify emergencies and give basic help to patients that need it the most,” Kanime said.
He emphasised the importance of the programme saying it doesn’t only provide an opportunity for patients to see specialists but also serves as a fact-finding mission as the team will identify problems and make recommendations to the minister.
Commenting on the state of the Keetmanshoop hospital, he said the infrastructure and equipment are of high standard but bemoaned the lack of staff, especially doctors. “It’s the only thing lacking to make it a fully-fledged regional hospital,” Kanime added.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a ratio of 1 000 patients to one doctor, but Kanime says the short-term goal is to at least get seven doctors for every regional hospital.
A high number of people turned up and the long queues were evident as everyone waited for their chance to be treated. Some complained that the wait was just too long, saying they had been sitting the whole day without help.
Kanime however said there is unfortunately no solution to the long wait because people are flocking in numbers and the staff are not enough to serve them as quickly as they would want, adding: “They just have to wait.”
Part of the team are specialists in urology, general surgery, radiology and gynaecology, with six final year students from the University of Namibia School of Medicine, while the health minister Bernard Haufiku yesterday joined the team based at Lüderitz.