By Kebba Ansu Manneh
Kebba Manneh, Chief Executive Officer of Bundung Maternal and Child Hospital has confirmed lack of doctors and bed capacity to admitted all its teeming patients visiting the hospital.
CEO Manneh who spoke with The Voice Newspaper reporter in a telephone interview on Monday, 4th October, 2021 as well disclosed the latest discharge protocol introduced by the hospital meant to shortened patients stay at the hospital.
Responding to the shortage of doctors that has hits the hospital, CEO Manneh confirmed that the hospital is experiencing shortage in doctors, noting that the shortage of doctors is equally hampering the service delivery of the hospital to its teeming patients.
He disclosed that at least four doctors at the hospital are currently on study leave compounding the difficulties to deliver services, adding that the departure of these doctors have been reported to the Ministry of health for redress.
“The Ministry of Health is well aware of the departure of these doctors granted study leave but they are yet to replace them. Their absence and not been replaced by other doctors by the Ministry is affecting our services,” CEO Manneh disclosed.
Dilating on the issue of lack of enough admission beds for patients, Bundung Hospital Chief disclosed that it is due to the high number of patients coming to the hospital. Adding that, most of these patients are from far and wide and cannot be rejected to be admitted.
CEO Manneh revealed to The Voice Newspaper that the hospital has strategised on new discharge protocols meant to shortened patients stay at the hospital. He said this new discharge protocol will allow the hospital the opportunity to continue admitting new patients.
CEO Manneh further blamed the current situation on Covid-19, hinting that during the height of the pandemic many husbands were staying at home leading to the register of many pregnancies.
He added that most of the pregnant mothers within KMC and West Coast Region prefer the services of Bundung Hospital than other health facilities within their neighborhoods. He added that this has put more pressure on the nurses, midwives and doctors working at the hospital.
CEO Manneh revealed further that Bundung Hospital admits more than twenty patients per day with only fourteen available beds, adding that the situation forces hospital authorities to allocate one bed to more than two patients sometimes.
Responding to the need to build more spacious maternity ward and delivery room for the high influx of patients visiting the hospital, CEO Manneh affirmed that this is not the mandate of the hospital, but management will engage relevant partners including Ministry of Health to this effect.
The interview comes on the heels of concerns raised by Majulla Kinteh, Senior Nursing Officer of the hospital who decried the overwhelming and difficult workload nurses and doctors are facing at the hospital.
The Senior Nursing Officer of the Hospital disclosed to UPI online television that the hospital is finding it difficult to admitted all the patients coming to the hospital coupled with lack of adequate nurses, midwives and doctors to handle the situation.
She disclosed that three to four patients are currently sharing beds at the hospital, arguing that this situation is not helping to the patients who may be liable to infection that they could carry along to their homes.
Madam Kinteh further called on the public to bear with the situation and understand the difficult conditions they are experiencing at the hospital, revealing that nurses, midwives and doctors at the hospital are working round the clock to ensure that patients visiting the hospital are taken care of.
