Binagwaho in impromptu visit to hospital after patients complaints

The Minister for Health, Dr Agnes Binagwaho, has urged medical personnel to ensure quality while delivering services to patients.Binagwaho was speaking on Wednesday evening after an impromptu visit to the University Teaching Hospital of Butare (CHUB), a visit which saw her tour various wings of the hospital.The minister told The New Times after the tour that her visit was prompted by complaints from residents who were decrying inadequate services at the hospital’s laboratory.Some lab supplies were lacking at the Huye-based hospital and patients were being asked to go to other hospitals for tests before getting treatment, the Minister disclosed.“Stock-out is not permitted,” Binagwaho said, adding that the hospital management should improve their procurement systems.“They have to improve, otherwise if patients continue going out for lab tests, we shall pay the bills and thereafter withdraw the money from the top-up (salaries) of those very high professionals managing the hospital,” she said during the tour.Binagwaho hailed the ‘courageous’ patients who reported the issue, saying it gave room for the health ministry to check and rectify the situation immediately.She encouraged patients to always claim for their rights, saying: “If you do not claim, nobody will do it for you.”Improvement The minister reminded personnel at the Huye-based referral hospital that they are expected to provide the highest quality services to patients for the benefits of their ‘noble profession’, patients and the whole population.“There is improvement but a lot more needs to be done. There are people who still suffer at the hands of unprofessional care providers. This is what we have to avoid,” Binagwaho said. “We want 100 per cent good customer care; that means having the equipment functioning, the consumables readili in place and enough personnel to carry out the lab exams,” she added.Binagwaho commended the improvement in the general management of the hospital, saying a lot is going better than the last time when she visited the facility.During her last visit at the hospital in June, Minister Binagwaho blasted the then management for poor hygienic conditions and sanitation. That led to the demotion of the director general Dr André Musemakweli, who was replaced by Dr Augustin Sendegeya who had been heading the otolaryngology department at the same hospital.The minister said on Wednesday that there is a remarkable improvement ever since the management was changed but called for continued efforts to improve.Procurement, verification of bills related to community health insurance and management of the hospital’s personnel are some of the areas that still need major improvement, she said.Dr Jean Bosco Gahutu, the head of laboratory at CHUB, said they are working hard to improve the functions in question.He said they will continue to engage all actors, including various administration levels, the Ministry of Health and the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) to ensure that the issue of stock-out is solved.“It is our duty and responsibility to ensure that we provide quality service to patients,” Gahutu said. “We will continue to improve where we need to,” he added.

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Binagwaho in impromptu visit to hospital after patients complaints