Medicine-dry Rundu hospital demoralising doctors
Patients discouraged from visiting facility
Doctors have been told there's nothing special about Rundu because this is a nationwide issue.
Doctors at the Rundu Intermediate Hospital, particularly in the casualty department, are feeling increasingly demoralised due to the frequent lack of essential medications for their patients.
One doctor, who chose to remain anonymous, told Namibian Sun that he often feels ‘helpless’, as though he is failing his patients, due to the shortage of essential drugs.
“It makes you feel useless. For example, when we don’t have critical fluids, you’re left wondering how to compensate for a patient’s needs. Certain fluids are necessary to help the patient, but when there’s nothing available, you’re left with no options," he said.
"Sometimes, you have to send the patient home without proper treatment, and it leaves you questioning why you even come to work if you don’t have the necessary medications. How long will this go on? How long should we wait for these essential medications to arrive?"
Another doctor voiced concerns about the growing issue of antibiotic resistance.
"The lack of essential medications like antibiotics is creating antibiotic resistance. You administer treatment and then discharge the patient after a short period because the medication isn’t sufficient, which contributes to resistance. It feels like we’re heading toward a future where we might not be able to treat even common diseases because of this lack of medication,” the medical professional lamented.
"It’s really bad. When you talk to the supervisors, they act like it’s not a big deal. They just say it’s a countrywide issue. But if this is affecting the whole country, what are we, as a hospital, doing to compensate for the lack of medication and essential fluids? Are we doing something? Are we pushing the ministry to address this problem and informing them that our doctors can’t work under these conditions?"
Left suffering
Michael Shivolo*, a patient who has experienced the shortages first-hand, told Namibian Sun that it's frustrating to keep going to the hospital, only to hear that the medicine they need is not available.
“I've tried the options they provide, but they don’t even touch the pain. It’s sad to know that despite all the trips to the hospital, I’m still left suffering. We need reliable access to proper medication,” he said.
Another patient with a similar experience said she has been visiting the hospital for months now, hoping to get the medication she needs, but every time she’s told it's not available.
“The pain I’m dealing with is unbearable, and the other options they give me do nothing to help. It feels like I’m being given false hope every time I walk in, only to leave in the same pain I came with."
No control
In response, Rundu Intermediate Hospital superintendent Jean Kabangu said the shortages are out of their control.
He explained that the procurement of medicine is handled centrally by the Central Medical Store (CMS). "There are two depots in the country: One in Rundu, which is part of the region, and one in Oshakati. We at the hospital have no control over procurement, as it is handled centrally. Our role at hospital level is simply to receive and manage the medication we are supplied with," he said.
Kabangu added that when the hospital runs out of medicine, they check with the regional medical store for interim supplies.
"If some items from the initial order are not supplied, the pharmacy places an interim order later. At times, we source items from the regional medical store."
The hospital also has a budget for buyouts to obtain certain specialised medications that are not easily available through the CMS, he said.
"For example, in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit [NICU], we use medications that are not commonly available because they have a short half-life, making it impractical for the CMS to stock them. We procure these items as needed," Kabangu said.
Attempts to reach health ministry executive director Ben Nangombe proved futile.
*Not his real name
[email protected]
One doctor, who chose to remain anonymous, told Namibian Sun that he often feels ‘helpless’, as though he is failing his patients, due to the shortage of essential drugs.
“It makes you feel useless. For example, when we don’t have critical fluids, you’re left wondering how to compensate for a patient’s needs. Certain fluids are necessary to help the patient, but when there’s nothing available, you’re left with no options," he said.
"Sometimes, you have to send the patient home without proper treatment, and it leaves you questioning why you even come to work if you don’t have the necessary medications. How long will this go on? How long should we wait for these essential medications to arrive?"
Another doctor voiced concerns about the growing issue of antibiotic resistance.
"The lack of essential medications like antibiotics is creating antibiotic resistance. You administer treatment and then discharge the patient after a short period because the medication isn’t sufficient, which contributes to resistance. It feels like we’re heading toward a future where we might not be able to treat even common diseases because of this lack of medication,” the medical professional lamented.
"It’s really bad. When you talk to the supervisors, they act like it’s not a big deal. They just say it’s a countrywide issue. But if this is affecting the whole country, what are we, as a hospital, doing to compensate for the lack of medication and essential fluids? Are we doing something? Are we pushing the ministry to address this problem and informing them that our doctors can’t work under these conditions?"
Left suffering
Michael Shivolo*, a patient who has experienced the shortages first-hand, told Namibian Sun that it's frustrating to keep going to the hospital, only to hear that the medicine they need is not available.
“I've tried the options they provide, but they don’t even touch the pain. It’s sad to know that despite all the trips to the hospital, I’m still left suffering. We need reliable access to proper medication,” he said.
Another patient with a similar experience said she has been visiting the hospital for months now, hoping to get the medication she needs, but every time she’s told it's not available.
“The pain I’m dealing with is unbearable, and the other options they give me do nothing to help. It feels like I’m being given false hope every time I walk in, only to leave in the same pain I came with."
No control
In response, Rundu Intermediate Hospital superintendent Jean Kabangu said the shortages are out of their control.
He explained that the procurement of medicine is handled centrally by the Central Medical Store (CMS). "There are two depots in the country: One in Rundu, which is part of the region, and one in Oshakati. We at the hospital have no control over procurement, as it is handled centrally. Our role at hospital level is simply to receive and manage the medication we are supplied with," he said.
Kabangu added that when the hospital runs out of medicine, they check with the regional medical store for interim supplies.
"If some items from the initial order are not supplied, the pharmacy places an interim order later. At times, we source items from the regional medical store."
The hospital also has a budget for buyouts to obtain certain specialised medications that are not easily available through the CMS, he said.
"For example, in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit [NICU], we use medications that are not commonly available because they have a short half-life, making it impractical for the CMS to stock them. We procure these items as needed," Kabangu said.
Attempts to reach health ministry executive director Ben Nangombe proved futile.
*Not his real name
[email protected]
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