Editor,

I am writing in reference to a story published in your paper of March 5, ‘Patients wait for days to get treatment at Nyakigando Health Centre in Nyagatare district’. The reason this situation exists, according to the story, is that there is a lack of adequate health personnel due to budgetary constraints. 

I would like to make a passionate appeal to the Ministry of Health to urgently give additional funding to this health centre to enable it recruit more staff.

It is unfair for a patient to wait for two or three days before accessing treatment for any kind of ailment.

The ratio of one nurse to 70 patients as indicated in the story is very high. Much as we appreciate the general shortage of health workers.

The Director of Nyagatare Hospital said as a solution, they are sensitising residents to contribute money to pay more staff as ‘we wait for the Ministry of Health to revise the budget for the health centre.’

But can money for salaries be raised locally? I doubt whether it can be sustainable.

Jean Bosco Kabera
Gatsibo