This week, the Ministry of Health, announced that it had launched an investigation to establish why Gira Ubuzima dispensary in Rusizi District had re-opened without its permission.The dispensary was closed down for failure to meet the required health standards.The investigation was commissioned a week after a story published in various media outlets, last month, alleged that a nurse at the dispensary had treated a patient who, unfortunately, passed away. The nurse in question is reportedly on the run.It’s unacceptable when a health centre is closed down – because it falls short of minimum standards – but continues to work illegally. By closing it down, the line ministry was convinced that the health centre was not qualified to treat people, and, therefore, anyone who was involved in defying the orders should be reprimanded with immediate effect. It is hard to believe that local leaders were unaware of the directives to shut down the facility or that it was operating illegally. After the unfortunate incident, the doctor who carried out the post mortem, turned out not to have the qualifications to carry out the autopsy, therefore, misleading investigations into case. While the Ministry has suspended the doctor for carrying out an exercise he is not qualified to do, the bigger concern is how such unprofessional practices can be eliminated once and for all. The Ministry of Health is committed to providing quality health care, however, this will not be achieved without the support of the local leaders and the general public as well. The public should constantly be on the lookout for poor service, unqualified practitioners and put in effort to confirm that the people offering health services are qualified to do so. There is a patient’s charter in place as well as a hotline – 114 – where any suspicions can be reported. However, to take full advantage of the facilities available to help bring down unprofessional practices within the health sector, it is important the public is aware of them.
