BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO
BUALA Hospital in Isabel province is facing nurse shortage.
This has reportedly affected service delivery at the province’s only hospital since Christmas.
In an interview with this paper yesterday, Acting Director of Buala Hospital Ms Hellen Marau explained two possible reasons to the issue; one is that most staffs are still on leave and the other is staff housing.
“We receive reports that some of our staffs are still on leave while others are reluctant to return to work as there is not enough staff houses to accommodate nurses,” Marau said.
She stressed that the few staff left are being over-worked looking after the sick.
“Currently we have only one staff looking after clinical duties in three shift and this has imposed our nurses with more workloads,” Marau said.
She said nurses who are looking after the hospital administration have now stepped forward to do clinical duties which means lots of administrative work are being left undone.
In the meantime, Marau said Isabel provincial government has responded positively to their call by securing staff houses and Buala hospital management is looking at reallocating the nurses and their accommodations.
She hopes that nurses who are still on leave will return to work next week to ease the current situation.
Baula hospital is the main hospital in Isabel province and is currently serving 12 communities near Buala.
