Analysis of the infant mortality rate at the Government Hospital, Kailahun in 2019 revealed that the infant mortality rate at the hospital was high. Of a total 7,093 admissions, 104 deaths were reported in the hospital, representing 1.47% of inpatients admitted.
According to the Auditor General, it was of utmost concern that 50% of deaths occurred within 24 hours of treatment or admission. “This could have emanated from insufficient doctors and nurses, coupled with the lack of technical tools and equipment and inadequate supervision” she said in her Annual Report.
Madam Lara Taylor-Pearce recommended that the Medical Superintendent (MS) in collaboration with the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) should ensure that more nurses and doctors are posted to the facility; more technical tools and equipment are procured by including them in the budget, and supervision and review are regularly carried out.
The MS in his response to the recommendation that as management, they will continue to advocate that qualified and specialized nurses and doctors are posted to the hospital. The management will include its next year’s AWP Procurement of important and live saving equipment and in addition advocate to government and health partners for similar support.
“Accommodation of staff is also a big challenge limiting the posting of staff to the district. The management will ensure that priority is laid for accommodation of staff in the next year AWP’.”
He went further to attribute the high infant mortality to be also highly associated with late referrals of moribund cases from the peripheral health unit. “The management will therefore engage with the DMO to see the way forward to enhance early referral to the District Hospital.”
Further into her team’s audit queries, they said that based on physiological guidelines, a canister of supplementary oxygen (02) should be administered to one patient at a time. They however observed that several patients who suffered from diverse ailments were concurrently using one oxygen canister at the same time.
In addition, their reviews further revealed that the following tools and medical equipment were lacking in the laboratory department of the hospital, Microscopes, Fully automated biochemical analyser, Gas analyser for respiration diseases, Automated haemoglobin analyser, Elisa tests kits and reader used for testing typhoid fever and hepatitis B, Machine for molecular diagnostic, Reagent for the determination of protein in urine and Not enough blood bank for refrigeration.
Madam Taylor-Pearce also recommended that the Director of Training, Hospital & Laboratory Services should ensure that the hospital is provided with these essential tools and equipment, via budgets, increased number of supplementary oxygen canisters in order to enhance the sustainability of quality health service delivery to the populace.
The MS stated that requests have been made to the Ministry and NGOs to ensure that the hospital is provided with this essential equipment in order to enhance the sustainability of quality health service delivery to the populace.
The Auditor General concluded that even though Management has requested to have the necessary equipment their recommendations were yet to be implemented.
ZJ/2/2/2021
By zainab.joaque@awokonewspaper.sl