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Mwinyi Sadallah
Five machines at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Zanzibar’s Mnazi Mmoja Referral Hospital, namely monitor machines, are in total disorder, for the past one year.
The machines of HP/Hewlett Packard model are useful to the medical doctors as they are able to monitor ICU patients’ progress.
It has been established that problems for facilities began last year when the first machine failed and by January 2011 all six machines broke down completely.
The facility was established a decade ago but information gathered suggests that there has been poor maintenance and repair due to unavailability of qualified technicians.
According to a source, which preferred to remain anonymous, the technical failure has already cost lives due to lack of necessary medical attention assured by fit machines.
It has also been established that the machines were not the only problem facing the ICU as the air conditioners were also in poor state, forcing the windows to be kept open to let in fresh air. The Unit has the capacity to accommodate a maximum of six patients.
Deputy Secretary to the hospital, Omar Juma, confirmed the poor state of the Unit due to lack of key facilities. “The ICU itself is as well in ICU and needs to undergo major refurbishment or purchase of brand new facilities.”
Omar said the hospital administration had already submitted a proposed budget of about 80 million shilling to cater for machines repair, adding that the said repairs were vital so as to enable the hospital to render satisfactory services to patients.
One of the specialist doctors at the hospital said the monitor machines enabled doctors to know the amount of oxygen available in the patient’s respiratory system.
He said that the machine’s technical failure had resulted in lack of required professional perfection in dealing with patients in critical health conditions.
The specialist who also sought anonymity observed that in the absence of the facility, patients with respiratory difficulties were assisted by directly connecting the tubes to the oxygen cylinders.
Contacted on the matter, the deputy minister for Health, Dr Sira Ubwa Mamboya, said the ministry was working hard to have the problem solved. The deputy minister said the government had a long term plan to construct a new ICU.
“While we are planning to repair the machines we are also planning to put in place a new ICU and we expect to have the needed funds by the end of this year,” he explained.
Mnazi Mmoja Referral Hospital serves all residents of five regions on Unguja and Pemba Islands.
SOURCE: GUARDIAN ON SUNDAY
I agree with these comments, i personally witness the intensive care facilities, the machinery were so old that even spare parts dont exist any more . i work in intensive care it happens i am in uk what i saw in zanzibar gave a lot of pain, the machines which were meant to preserve and care life were so dangerous and not accurate. the datas were wrong thus giving misleading information and hence effects decision making process. we have to be honest and discuss our failings openly to help to find solutions and solve our problems. we have a lots of zanzibaris experts all over the world who are too willing to help and they should be consulted .intensive care does not depends on machinery alone but human expertise is equally important. Dr. Ahmed Amour
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