06 Aug 2013

Out patients at Scottish Livingstine Hospital in Molepolole have complained that they are returned several times without being assisted even when they have booked for check- ups.

Patients at the eye clinic, high blood and sugar diabetes patients said they usually arrived early in the morning for their check- ups and later on in the afternoons they would be told that they would not be assisted on the same day.

The complaints were raised during an interview on Monday. They said it could be better if the doctors could make their bookings considering the number of patients they could assist in a day.

One of the patients Ms Olebogeng Mphono, said the main problem was that some out-patients did not visit clinics near their homes for consultation, adding that they preferred going to the hospital even when they were not referred.

In response, the hospital's public relations officer, Mr Kefentse Mbaiwa said it was not all the time that doctors assisted patients on the dates they would have appointed for check-ups, stating that due to shortage of doctors, patients had to wait for a long time.

 He added that some patients either came late for their check-up visits or went to hospital whenever they felt like and some failed to turn up while others went on the wrong dates.

However, he said they were trying by all means not to turn away any patient without being assisted hinting that they had daily ward rounds to assist in-patients and emphasized that the eye clinic was operational everyday except weekends and public holidays. Mr Mbaiwa also stated that patients normally complained about workers attitudes, stating that some workers in the hospital did not treat them with respect.

”We have STAR campaign service in our hospital; Smile and greet, Thank and listen, Anticipate and care, Resolve problem. The campaign influence employees to provide good service and customer care, and we also train our customers through workshops and make use of clocking system to make sure that workers stars work on time,” he said.

On other issues, he pointed out that they had interpreters to assist during consultations for expatriate doctors, adding that they needed sign language interpreters. However, he said of recent, they had not recorded any complaints from patients who had been turn away because of the issue of out of stock pills.

 ”We make sure that we order them well in time before they get finished,” said Mr Mbaiwa. He added that the hospital had 13 medical officers and a total of six specialists (one physician, one gynacologist, two anesthetists and two ophthalmologists) operating at Scottish hospital.  ENDS