Cllrs want load eased off Nyangabwe

PATRICIA EDWIN
Staff Writer | Thursday July 18, 2013 00:00

The councillors toured the hospital  yesterday and expressed their misgivings about the service rendered by the hospital to the hospital management.  NEDC Council chairperson City Kealotswe said that they were part of Francistown and as such wished that a district hospital be built in the area to relieve NRH.  'We keep hearing that it is because of financial constraints that Francistown cannot get a district hospital but we do not agree with that,' he said.

He said that he was also concerned about the deaths that happen at this hospital while patients are under observation. 'Critical patients can be said to be under observation for three to four days and others do not make it as they die while waiting to be seen by the doctor.  'The management should talk about this burning issue because that is why you hear people saying that this hospital is killing people,' he said.  Kealotswe also complained that many villages in his area that include Matshelagabedi, Patayamatebele and Tati Siding have no ambulances.

'What is the problem with ambulances? If you have issues about ambulances we need to hear you cry out so that we can help,' he said. Councillor for Senyawe William Tatose said that they had problems securing wheelchairs for disabled people.  'We used to get wheelchairs, but for sometime now we have not been able to and people who are supposed to use them are struggling as their wheelchairs are now broken.Tatose also complained about patients' bookings that were set for several months ahead.

'How busy can it be? Some people can even die while they are waiting for their bookings at Nyangabwe,' he added.  He also said that the hospital should update them about the problem of drug shortage because it was proving to be so serious to the extent that people sit with medical cards full of prescriptions but no medication.Councillor Moses Maloiso of Tshesebe said that he was concerned about infants that were being dumped and wanted to find out the magnitude of the problem.  Acting Hospital Superintendent Malaki Tshipayagae said that infants who were dumped after birth was a real concern to the hospital as they were raised by nurses.'Those infants are taken care of by our nurses as part of their nursing duties and they do a good job.We raise them until they are adopted through social work services,' he said.