Zimpapers Logo

First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa

Sibongile Maruta Herald Reporter
There is reportedly a marked change of attitude by nurses towards patients following impromptu visits by First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa to Harare Central Hospital and Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals in December last year. Those visiting the two hospitals yesterday confirmed that there is a change in attitude towards patients and service provision.

A snap survey by The Herald at the country’s two major hospitals yesterday showed that health workers were more determined and committed to do their work evidenced by shorter queues and efficiency in the discharge of their duties. At Harare Central Hospital, staff could be seen working during lunch hour in both the outpatients and casualty wards.

The situation was almost the same at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, where staff from the reception to the wards were also responding to patients’ queries and assisting them on time. One of the patients who spoke to The Herald on condition of anonymity commended services rendered to her saying it seemed the staff’s attitude and urgency to offer services had changed.

“I am happy that l got served on time and got help from the staff when l needed it, unlike previously, when one would actually hesitate to seek services from Government institutions because of their slow pace,” she said.

She attributed the change to the First Lady’s visit saying they could be wary of a second unplanned visit as happened before. First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa has so far made impromptu visits to Harare Central, Mpilo Central and United Bulawayo hospitals.

She has expressed concern over the manner at which health workers, nurses included, discharge their duties resulting in long queues and attitudes towards patients. However, the Zimbabwe Nurses’ Association secretary-general Mr Enock Dongo said addressing effective and efficient service delivery in health institutions required a holistic approach.

“The issues raised need a holistic approach starting from provision of medicines and other sundries as they could be contributing to supposedly nurses’ attitude towards work. For instance, we might say the nurses are slow in discharging their duties yet they will be busy shuttling from one ward to another searching for commodities to use in their investigations,” said Mr Dongo.

He said equipment in most health institutions is now obsolete as it was procured as far as the 1980s, making it difficult for nurses to work with. He also attributed the slow pace of nurses to burnout saying since the job freeze policy, there was a shortage of staff across all departments resulting in longer turnaround time before patients are served.

“Sometimes nurses experience a lot of pressure and fatigue for working with larger populations than the recommended ratios,” he said.

He said currently the nurse patient ratio stands at one nurse to 15 patients as opposed to one patient to five patients in general wards.