Patients sleep in corridors at Eenhana hospital

Expectant mothers at Eenhana hospital in the Ohangwena region sleep in the corridors due to a lack space at the facility.

Beds and mattresses are lined against the walls along the narrow corridors of the hospital’s maternity wards, where mothers lie waiting to deliver.

Health director of Ohangwena region John Hango said the hospital facilities need to be expanded, as the hospital is overwhelmed by patients, who come from all over Ohangwena and as far as Angola.

Ohangwena is the second most populous region after Khomas, with an estimated population of 280 199. The region has three hospitals – Eenhana, Okongo and Engela, more than 30 clinics and 155 outreach points.

Hango added that the hospitals in the region have a challenge of ageing infrastructure and no major maintenance plan.

The ageing fleet includes ambulances, plants, such as power generators and incinerators.

“We are facing so many challenges such as revised staff establishments not fully funded. The population has increased, but staff levels remain the same, and this creates a critical staff shortage of all categories,” revealed Hango.

“Some hospital departments, such as casualty, out-patients, offices, pharmacy stores and doctors’ consulting rooms need to be expanded to cater to the growing population.

We need to especially expand the maternity ward or build a new ward with antenatal care, labour and post-natal units,” he added.

“Procurement is a lengthy process. It hinders quality patient care, as this results in serious stock out of most clinical supplies,” Hango further revealed.