Conditions have deteriorated at Sally Mugabe Hospital in Harare, where staff are compelled to carry deceased patients down the stairs due to malfunctioning elevators.
Meanwhile, patients in pain must navigate the stairs without access to elevators.
Frequent power outages have compounded the crisis, severely disrupting mortuary services and increasing the strain on hospital operations and staff.
According to Business Times, staff are now requiring patients to bring their own water from home or purchase it from nearby vendors.
A staff member interviewed by Business Times said that the situation is taking a mental toll on nurses and other healthcare workers, prompting some to resign in protest. Said the individual:
The situation here is dire. Some have resigned because of this. Imagine carrying a deceased person down the stairs. It is traumatising.
The situation is so stressful. The stairs are not working and it’s frustrating. You can imagine the stress patients go through, imagine what their relatives go through. It’s a crisis.
We are often told to bring our own water or buy it at the tuck shop for $1.70 per five litres. It’s overwhelming to deal with illness in the family while also worrying about basic needs like water.
Criticism has been directed at the hospital’s emergency response, with many patients reporting prolonged waiting times.
Patients in Ward B3 reported a critical shortage of beds and wheelchairs, forcing them to wait for others to vacate before accessing care.
The Business Times news team reportedly faced harassment from security personnel while investigating and seeking comments from hospital officials.
During a recent budget consultation in Parliament before the Portfolio Committee on Health, Dr Masanga Mutede, acting director of the Family Health Ministry of Health and Child Care exposed the severity of the crisis in the healthcare system. He said:
You arrive at the hospital and see a building with no maintenance, with floors that are cracked. This reflects the quality of service we are able to provide.
In our maternity ward, we usually admit eight people to a room, and often mothers must lay on the floor due to a lack of beds. This is unacceptable.
The ministry is working on a strategy to centralize procurement of medicines to ensure that our institutions are restocked. Currently, we face a dire shortage.
More: Pindula News