Guruve Residents Voice Concerns Over Hospital Treatment

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Guruve residents have raised serious concerns about the treatment of patients at the local government hospital. Acting on a tip-off, we reached out to residents, the hospital administration, and the District Medical Officer (DMO), although we were unable to contact the DMO.

Mr Letios Karembera, Chairperson of the Guruve Residents and Ratepayers Association, articulated the frustration felt by many locals. “I’m deeply concerned that the hospital has about four working doctors but patients are not getting attended to. We residents know that there are only four or five doctors in the whole area. The situation is so bad that people coming from as far as Kachuta, which is about 40km away, aren’t getting attended to and end up going back home only to come again the next day. They arrive at the hospital as early as 5 am and sometimes go back home without ever seeing a doctor,” he lamented.

Mr Karembera added, “We understand that some hardworking doctors were prevented from working, doctors who used to attend to the sick. The doctors who are currently working at the hospital are different; they are inconsiderate. We are appealing for higher powers and authorities to intervene.”

When contacted by phone, Mr Ngwaru, the hospital administrator, initially stated, “I am not privy to these allegations,” suggesting he was unaware of the complaints. However, he later backtracked, admitting he had received a complaint on Friday and had promised to address it on Monday. When questioned about patients seeking help directly at a doctor’s residence, he described the patient as “out of order” and said they had “gone against the established SOPs.” He could not confirm or deny the other allegations and was unsure whether there was a shortage of doctors or if they were not working to their full capacity.

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Supporting Mr Karembera’s concerns, a source confirmed the severity of the situation, stating, “People are dying while sitting in the outpatient waiting area without ever being seen by a doctor. The outpatient area is always packed with patients waiting for care, but the doctors are usually at home.”

Another patient added, “The doctors sometimes just come in and announce they will only see five patients. That’s it. They don’t care if many other people are waiting, no matter how serious their condition is or how far they’ve travelled.”

Reports of an increased number of deaths among newborns also surfaced. “Expectant mothers are being told to bring their own blankets,” sources informed us. Our attempts to reach District Medical Officer Chivese to confirm these allegations were unsuccessful.

One patient recounted a harrowing experience involving his wife. “I had to go to the house of a female doctor because the situation was so urgent. We were forced to go to her home. When we got there, she called the nurses at the outpatient department and yelled at them, believing they had given me her address. After that, she simply went back to sleep, leaving us without any help,” he said.

Another patient claimed, “We are being forced to pay money to be seen by a doctor. Sometimes, when we pay, we aren’t given any receipts or documentation at all.”

The association and the general public are seeking a remedy to the situation and are calling for improvements in the treatment of patients at the hospital.

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