PM is right on service delivery in health sector

Editor,I read the article in Saturday’s issue of The New Times, February, 4,about the PM’s meeting with health service providers and his lamentations about poor service delivery and the reaction from theDirector of King Faisal Hospital (KFH) which I find wanting though not surprising.As the Director of KFH, he should not be on the defensive but rather look for innovative ways of bringing about quality services to the hospital he heads.On Wednesday night last week, my son was feeling unwell; I called KFH hotline and booked an appointment to consult Dr. Mucumbitsi.We were given an appointment of 11am the following day. By the next day, which was Thursday, my wife was at KFH by 10am and had the paper work ready by 10:30am and waited to consult Dr. Mucumbitsi.By 1:00pm, she had not yet met the doctor but the nurse on duty was able to bring in people known to her and jumped the queue to consult the doctor.My wife left the hospital at 2:00pm disappointed without seeing the doctor because the baby was not only sick but getting hungry too.Many people have been disappointed with service delivery at KFH. If I were the Director, instead of being on the defensive, I would immediately issue questionnaires to patients who visit the hospital to get a feel of what their perceptions are and what their recommendations would be.I would also take it a step further and organise a public meeting with KFH patients to get their views about the hospital’s services.Right now, my rating of KFH service delivery is; VERY POOR.NickKigali

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PM is right on service delivery in health sector