Roaches bringing the filth at Onandjokwe
• By Hertta-Maria Amutenja
PATIENTS at Onandjokwe District Hospital in Oshikoto region are concerned about their welfare and the hygiene of the hospital as cockroaches crawl in their beds and food.
According to Maria Enkali who was hospitalised at the hospital, she had to boil water twice a day to get rid of the pests.
“I have been here for six days now and every morning and evening I have to have to pour boiling water between the bed railings to kill cockroaches. There are cockroaches everywhere in this room. When one complains to the nurses about them, they just go quiet and look at us,” said Enkali. Additionally she said the cockroaches would crawl into her bed and sometimes into her mouth while she sleeps.
“There are cockroaches all over the rooms and beds, it is disturbing. It is so bad because these insects end up in our food and sometimes even in our mouths when sleeping. It is very unhealthy. The shower where you least expect to see cockroaches, they are there,” said an aggrieved Enkali.
In videos seen by Confidente, the cockroaches are crawling on bed railings and on the floor. Medical superintendent at the hospital Dr Akutu Munyika who acknowledged the cockroaches’ issue said despite the state of the hospital, the ministry is doing everything to ensure that the bugs are exterminated. “I have to admit and agree that we have a serious problem with cockroaches at the hospital and it’s a challenge. However this is something we are dealing with. We are in the final process of completing the renovations of wards four and six of the hospital,” he said. He further added that there are two main factors that contribute to the habituating of cockroaches at the hospital.
“We think there are two factors contributing to this. One is, we strongly believe that we have very old infrastructure. Some buildings are old that they have cracks in the wall, so when we spray the cockroaches, they hide in the wall cracking.
“The second factor is the patients’ food that is usually left on their side drawers for a long time. We are all aware that these insects love to feed on food and in that case we are working together with the catering company and the hospital cleaners to make sure that that we keep the hospital as clean as possible, “said Munyika .
Last year Confidente reported that the same district hospital had become a ‘kingdom of cats’. According to patient Tulongeni Matheus who had spent six weeks in ward two at the district hospital he had become accustomed to the sight of the cats, which were roaming freely in his room, searching and looking for food without any fear of mankind. They stole his food and walked on his bed as they wished.
According to him, cats come in the wards through open windows, and when windows are closed, they enter the through the main door and nurses do nothing about it.
Read the full story in this week’s edition.