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Matero Hospital long queues irk patients…as they appeal to Govt to deploy more medical personnel

SIMON MUNTEMBAwrites

@SunZambian

PATIENTS at Matero level one hospital have complained of having to wait in long queues before they can be attended to by medical personnel.

They complained that the situation was worse at night as they spent substantial hours on benches in the outpatient department before seeing the doctor.

The patients who attributed the long waits to lack of medical staff have appealed to government to deploy more doctors at the Hospital to deal with increased population and the number of patients outside the catchment area.

Gerald Mbulo, 41, a resident of Matero Township, who was found at the hospital last night told the Sun that he was made to wait for more than 3 hours before he was attended to.

Mr Mbulo who complained of severe chest pains said that he arrived at the hospital around 18:00 hours but he was kept waiting until well over 21:00 hours.

“I came here at around 18:00 hours and up to now, I have not seen the doctor. All these people you are seeing in the outpatient department have spent 2 to 3 hours here.

“And the problem is that we have one doctor to attend to us. They were supposed to be two but we are told the other doctor is attending to an emergency case. But that is not fair because we are also in pain and we need urgent attention,” Mr Mbulo said.

Mr Mbulo said high patient load coupled with few doctors and nurses were the main causes of the long waiting time.

He also bitterly complained about what he termed as “the derailment” of the medical services.

“This is what I would call the derailment of the medical services here my brother. There is poor service, there are always long queues. I mean something should be done. Government has to immediately end the shortage of nurses and doctors,” Mr Mbulo said.

And Memory Tembo, 56, of Lilanda Township who brought her sick sister, complained that waiting unnecessarily caused stress for them.

Ms Tembo who spoke in vernacular said there was an urgent need for the health facility to increase the number of health workers.

“Nabwela nikudala pano but namanje a doctor akalibe kutiona. Uyu wamene nabwelesa nimufana wanga. Adandaula mumala elo akangiwa kunkhala. Koma atiuza kuti tiyembekezeko chifukwa doctor amene awona banthu bonse aba ni umozi. Koma pempho yathu niyakuti boma itumize ma doctors ambili chifukwa banthu bazayamba kufela mumalaini,” she said.

“I have been here for hours without being attended to. I brought my young sister who can’t even sit because of the pain she is experiencing but we are told to wait a bit longer because there is only on doctor to attend to all these patients.

“ Our appeal is to government to employ more doctors because unattended to patients will end up dying on queues,” Ms Tembo said.

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