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Dr Nyasha Masuka

Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent
THE Ministry of Health and Child Care says health workers are expected to attend to patients within 30 minutes of arrival as part of measures to improve service delivery.

In an interview yesterday, Matabeleland North provincial medical doctor Dr Nyasha Masuka said the Ministry had introduced a client service charter which health workers should adhere to.

He said those at the outpatients department must not spend more than two hours at the hospital unless admitted.

Dr Masuka said during patients’ stay at health institutions nurses should constantly check on their conditions.

“It’s within our 100 day plan to update patients after every 30 minutes on how they are being taken care of or how much longer they should expect to wait. At all the district hospitals in Matabeleland North, we have posted waiting timetables on outpatient departments,” said Dr Masuka.

“When patients get to the hospital they know that they should be in for two hours or one hour in terms of getting through the service. This information we also encourage our health workers to cascade it down to community levels so that people no what to expect when the visit a health centre,” he said.

Dr Masuka said a change in attitudes among heath workers was important and the ministry would not allow workers to compromise services hiding under the “so called” poor working conditions.

“Attitudes of our health workers has to change, we know culture takes a bit of time to change. But we are saying let’s start with these things that don’t cost money. We know that they are some issues employees complain about such as poor working conditions and salaries,” he said.

Dr Masuka said the client service charter is meant to provide quality health services.He said communities must be educated about the client service charter so that they demand quality services from health staff.

“Our staff and the health centre committees are supposed to sensitise our communities about this client charter which states what they entitled to in terms of health services.

“We also have a service charter that outlines the entitlement of health workers, their roles and responsibilities,” he said.

@nqotshili