DAKAWA medical attendants in Mvomero district, Morogoro are accused of failure to attend night emergency patients.
The pregnant women in the area have complained on the situation by saying that they more go to the mission health centers than their village dispensary.
Ms Leah Yohana (27) said that she was once had night injections but because no one works at night she was injected in the next morning.
“You cannot imagine that I was injected in the next morning because no one works at the health center during night,” she said.
She also added that the attendants used to point to one another when there is an emergency during night.
Dakawa Dispensary, Maternity Ward
“When there is a call of someone on duty she says to call someone else, I can’t reach their on time and when you call the other she said call someone… the situation has been that way for so long because they leave far away from the health center and we have already reported the matter to the village councilor,” she said.
Moreover, Ms Roda Pamba (32) also had experienced the failure to get service because one of the attendants was in holiday.
“We don’t understand that one can’t get service because one of the attendants is in holiday. I don’t find reason for these people to continue being there,” she complained.
She added that, due to that problem many pregnant women decide to deliver at the private health centers when they face labor pain during night.
“Although we pay 15,000/-, but we are sure of finding someone to help,” she said.
The Enrolled Nurse, Ms Margreth Yapesa said that there is a problem of night roaster at the dispensary due to many attendants living far away from the health center.
Ms Yapesa said that she only lives near the dispensary and she is the one who at most time attends the night’s emergencies. She said, she sometime fail due to sickness.
She added that there is a challenge for those who living far from the health center because they deny sleeping in the dispensary and therefore one in the roster is called if any emergency occurs.
The dispensary has ten medical attendants whereby there are three houses which are in poor condition. Two houses are empty. Also the dispensary serves three villages which are Dakawa, Luhindo and Sokoine with the population of more than 10,000 people.
The Dakawa Councilor, Mr Yusuph Makunja said that, the residents have been complaining on the behaviors of the attendants and he is working on it.
“I have received many complaints from the residents on the poor night roaster and therefore I will make sure I am working on it or even transfer them from here, they seem to be not responsible,” he said.