Butare University Teaching Hospital (CHUB) staff have been urged to change the poor state of hygiene or experience drastic changes.The call was made by Dr Agnes Binagwaho, the minister of Health, while touring the hospital on Thursday. She said the sanitation at the hospital was very poor and also expressed disappointment over lack of use of newly-acquired equipment, including an ultra-modern scanner and laboratory kits which remain idle. Binagwaho also recommended the sacking of the head of surgery at the hospital, citing the ‘deplorable and unacceptable’ hygiene standards there.“We expect this [hospital] to be the best. It is a university hospital; the one teaching others about health but look at how they operate,” she said. “They better change. Not tomorrow but today.”She said the hospital is not making use of equipment sent by government. Speaking to Saturday Times, Dr André Musemakweli, the Hospital Director, said they had learnt ‘a lot of lessons’ from the visit but maintained hygiene is among their priorities.“We are on the right track though there are a lot of things to improve,” Musemakweli said adding: “We have been making our efforts to ensure a proper environment for patients.”He promised that within three months, there would be an improvement.
