During an online Women Dialogue Meeting conducted in Glenview it emerged that Glen View Poly Clinic which offers maternal and other health services including COVID vaccination had no running water and adequate staff putting patients at risk of contracting diseases.
Pregnant women who attended the meeting explained that women who wanted to give birth were now being referred to Budiriro 1 clinic where they will be congested in one labor Ward with physical distancing measures being disregarded risking them to contract COVID-19.
“Women in labor are put in one room, even seven being attended by one nurse without practicing social distancing. This puts them at risk of contracting COVID-19, we are in dire need of help” said one of the participants.
This was confirmed by the Community Sister in Charge at Glenview Polyclinic Ms. Mujombiza who attended the meeting who said, “water is needed to attend pregnant women currently our borehole is not functional so we refer them to nearby Budiriro polyclinic for assistance.”
However, she was not aware of the conditions and congestion at Budiriro 1 Clinic as it is out of her jurisdiction. Glen View Poly Clinic like any other Council Clinic has been hit by mass exodus of nurses, who are leaving for better working conditions.
Currently Glen View Poly Clinic is being overwhelmed by people who want to be vaccinated and the same nurse who is in charge of other health services is also vaccinating people, a situation that has seen few people being vaccinated with a long winding queue for the COVID jab.
Harare City Council Communications Manager Mr Michael Chideme said, ” As a city we are relying on locum nurses, even if we employ more they are leaving our clinics as they are not happy with the remuneration”. Currently, the City Council has more than 240 nurse vacancies.
The situation at Glen View Poly Clinic is dire to the extent that an urgent replacement of the water tank is needed for water provision and increase of health personnel in order to provide better health services.
CHRA recommends that the City of Harare together with the relevant Ministry to take corrective measures to address the water and health personnel issues at all council clinics especially at this critical moment where volumes of people flock to the clinics for COVID-19 vaccination and other health services.
Source: Combined Harare Residents Association
