• Nyanza hospital board calls for inquiry • Minister promises solution by next  week

SOUTHERN PROVINCE / KIGALI

NYANZA – Internal bickering is threatening the operation of Nyanza district Hospital and now, the hospital board of directors has recommended for a professional audit, The New Times has learnt.

According to the chairman of the board, Dr Laurien Nyabyenda, the audit will mainly focus on the conduct of all the hospital staff.

"This is mainly because of the several complaints we got from patients who were saying they are getting poor services from the hospital," Nyabyenda said yesterday.

According to the district Mayor, Francois Munyankindi, problems in the hospital began last year with misunderstandings between Dr. Tatien Bucyana, the Hospital director, and the Hospital head of administration, Innocent Rubayita.

"Last year we called a meeting to diffuse the tension between the two. The meeting was also attended by the Governor of the Province Fidele Ndayisaba and the Minister of Health Damascene Ntawukuriryayo. The warring parties agreed in principal to stop the bickering and perform their duties as stipulated in their employment contracts," said Munyankindi.

Nyabyenda said that claims of the squabbles between the two were brought to the board’s attention by Bucyana.

The truce was however short-lived as thereafter, another rift developed between the hospital director and Alphonse Ntirenganya, a nurse at the hospital. This led to the suspension of the latter last month.

Sources in the hospital say that Bucyana accused Ntirenganya of rallying support for Rubayita from the hospital staff.

Subsequent to the suspension of the nurse, an appeal was lodged by some hospital staff and Ntirenganya calling for the intervention of the Hospital board of directors.

"We carried out investigations and found there were for suspending the nurse and that’s why we decided to reinstate him," said Nyabyenda.

Ntirenganya’s suspension letter which was seen by The New Times indicates he was sacked for insubordination.

An investigation team commissioned by the board conducted a meeting with hospital staff on April 18 2008. According to the investigation report sent to the District Advisory Council (DAC) (seen by The New Times), workers in the hospital were divided into two blocs.

The team discovered that intimidation was used to silence staff who opposed the director’s administrative style and that the performance-based remuneration scheme was abused because assessment lacked objectivity. It was used against dissenting voices.

The report indicated that the victims of the discord were the local people whose interests should be protected by all means.

Another meeting was convened on April 24 2008 bringing together members of the hospital administrative council. It was meant to relay to the hospital director the situation at the hospital with the intention of finding solutions to problems raised.

According to the minutes of the meeting, the hospital director showed little cooperation. The report to the district advisory council indicates that the director gave vague explanations and said that he acted on the advice of the Minister of Health, Jean Damascene Ntawukuriryayo.

The hospital board recommended, as a short term measure, that workers be allowed freedom to express themselves and that all workers be treated equally.

As a long term measure, the hospital board called for a professional audit into the operations of the hospital by the DAC. It also advised hospital administrators to avoid conflicts of interest.

In a bid to find a solution to the administrative problem at the hospital, the DAC set up a commission of inquiry into the mismanagement of the hospital. The inquiry headed by Euthali Nyirabega, is expected to submit its findings by May 15. The report will then be sent to the appointing authority – the Ministry of Health – for action.

When contacted, the Minister Ntawukuriryayo said that the solution to this problem should be devised by the hospital board.

"That is why they were appointed, to monitor the management of the hospital. They should get a solution for this problem," Ntawukuriryayo said yesterday by phone.

He was however quick to assert that he was aware of the problem in this hospital saying he would try to find solution as soon as possible.

"I have already sent an emissary to the hospital to carry out an inquiry. When I get his report and that from the district council, I will have a basis for a solution and I promise by next week, I will have that solution," he said.

Asked if the solution may include sacking any responsible party, he said he could not rule out that option.

"People’s health always comes before anything else and it is evident that they are getting poor services so some officials might be replaced," he said.

According to the Provincial Governor Fidele Ndayisaba, the problem at the hospital is mainly administrative of which he said a solution will be devised soon.

Ends