Karoi Hospital Staff On Go-slow

The hospital situated about 204 kilometres north-west of Harare is Hurungwe referral hospital covering nearly 15 rural clinics including one at Chirundu border post nearly 150 kilometres away. It also caters for resettled farm clinics around Karoi farming town.

Sources revealed that the doctor had failed to release money to electrify the mortuary for the past six months he has been at the hospital.

Failure to have electricity at mortuary is forcing relatives of the deceased to bury them within two days.

To compound the mortuary saga in Hurungwe district, two other mortuaries in Magunje and Mwami clinics were also not working. Both fall under the same medical officer’s administration.

‘’He has never bothered to have the mortuaries repaired and its affecting us. We can not allow people to keep bodies for more than two days as they will rot’’ said a mortuary attendant.

The doctor is also being blamed by patients for refusing to give them food.

‘’Patients can go for days without food because he just want money released to buy the food when he is only around. He can not delegate responsibilities to anyone. Unfortunately he is hardly available at the hospital as he is always away attending workshops and meetings out of town’’ said another worker.

Last week, Radio VOP reporter witnessed patients being forced to go home as the doctor was not available to assess them.

The only clinical officer who used to assist many patients is said to be ill. Some junior nurses said the doctor is planning to transfer those suspected to be behind the go-slow.

‘’I have been to the hospital for three days but the doctor is not around and I got assistance from a private doctor. How many can afford that?’’ said Mathias Mutero of Mjinga village 80 kilometres from Karoi town last week.

Hospital authorities were not available for comment.