He also ordered the closure of all pharmacies outside the regional hospital with effect from Monday. Mtwara Regional Administrative Secretary, Mr Alfred Luanda, was tasked with ensuring smooth implementation of the directive.
The Premier issued the directive in a meeting with the hospital’s employees after inspecting various departments where he received a number of complaints from the patients on poor services and demands for bribe by medical personnel.
Mr Majaliwa had an audience with a patient, Ms Tatu Abdallah, who told him she had to sell her 2.5 hectares of land to secure money to pay Dr Namahala the 100,000/- he had demanded.
“On February 1, I took my father to this hospital and I was told he has to undergo an operation. I was given a prescription to buy medicine worth 85,000/- in a pharmacy situated outside the hospital in addition to availing the hospital of three surgical stitches.
On top of that, I was required to pay the doctor 100,000/- but until February 7, nothing was done,” she had lamented. Ms Abdallah further told the PM that to her surprise, nothing was done but was asked to send her father back on February 16. “My village is very far from here.
This dismayed me a lot. We went back to the village where I had to sell my plot to enable me pay 560,000/- for my father’s operation at a private hospital.”
She told the prime minister that her presence at the hospital was prompted by the need to look for the doctor who prescribed the medicines and other items to give her the items or money back as she did not enjoy services.
It was at this juncture when Mr Majaliwa asked Ms Abdallah if he could identify the doctor and when she responded that she could, all the doctors at the hospital were paraded. She immediately flushed out Dr Namahala.
“Mr RPC; make sure this woman is not harassed at all. Corruption is unacceptable. This doctor has to be suspended,’’ the prime minister ordered.
The premier further directed the regional administrative secretary (RAS) and the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) to make an immediate follow up to take proper action against the surgeon.
He insisted on the need for medical personnel to observe ethics and code of conduct in addition to stop charging children and pregnant women as it was against the health policy.
Mr Majaliwa also directed hospital authorities to make sure there is a special doctor, special desk for the elderly and the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) desk.
Culled from Daily News
let the surgeon fill the pinch of corruption. how can he do that to poor woman?
JibuFutalet the surgeon feel the pinch of corruption. how can he do that to poor woman?
JibuFuta