09 Sep 2013

Health workers have been encouraged to be customer focused in their daily duties.

Addressing health workers recently during a tour of various health post clinics at Kuke, Charleshill, Ncojane and D’Kar,  permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr Kolaatamo Malefho stressed that a customer focused culture was critical to help the ministry achieve its goal.   

Dr Malefho expressed concern about complaints from the public that civil servants were not serving them with diligence and said health workers must have respect for their patients at all times. 

Thus, he encouraged them to execute their duties with respect especially to the elderly, expectant mothers, under five-year olds and disabled persons. He also advised them to establish health desks at clinics and hospitals and to provide signage to enable clear directions for patients. 

On other issues, he called on hospital management to pay suppliers on time to avoid ruining the relations they had with their clients.  Meanwhile, a registered nurse at Kuke Health Post, Ms Pauline Mbaeva said the clinic’s infrastructure was old and needed renovation. 

Ms Mbaeva also said their health post did not have enough storage space to keep the clinic’s property, noting they used the same storeroom for tools and food. She revealed to that statistics for home deliveries in the area were disappointing.

She said in 2012, they had 24 home deliveries and this year, they had seven thus far.   Ms Mbaeva noted that patients were well educated about the dangers of home birth, but the main challenge was that they could not reach hospitals on time as most of them stay at farms that are a distance away.

She also expressed concern about the high number of tuberculosis patients in Kuke and surrounding areas, citing poor living conditions as a major cause as well as smoking and alcohol intake.  Dr Malefho acknowledged the challenges that health workers were faced with in their respective stations, including those at the headquarters.

On the TB crisis, Dr Malefho said there was need to break the chain and come with measures to help reduce the spread of the contagious disease. ENDS