No doctor at Karoi District Hospital

medical doctors operating private surgeries in Karoi, most patients say they cannot afford the huge sums they demand.
Some also claim that the private doctors cannot assist in cases that demand services of a Government medical doctor.
Since last December when the then district medical officer, Dr Eria Mudiwa, resigned and went into private practice, Karoi District Hospital has been operating without a medical doctor. A source at the hospital, who preferred anonymity for professional reasons, said the situation at the hospital was deplorable. The source said the most affected categories of patients were those critically injured in accidents especially along the Harare-Chirundu Highway and pregnant women with some complications that need major operations.
“Injury reports required by the courts have to be compiled not only by a medical doctor, but by a Government medical doctor. It is only a doctor who can write a report on the degree of injury sustained when one is assaulted.
“That means we have not been attending to all such cases particularly injuries from assaults. The status of this hospital merits an establishment of about five medical doctors basing on the volume of patients it services on a daily basis.
“Only a Government medical doctor can sign BD12 forms which are used for the acquisition of death certificates. A doctor is the only person who can determine the cause of death of a patient not a nurse. People are facing difficulties to secure such documents for their relatives who die at this hospital and elsewhere,” said the source.
According to another source at the hospital, since Karoi is along the main corridor used by most travellers to and from the northern countries, the hospital was mostly inundated with critically injured travellers from the accident-prone, Harare-Chirundu Highway.
“Another challenge is that there is only one ambulance. It is this same ambulance that is expected to take all critical cases to Chinhoyi or Parirenyatwa,” he said.
Hurungwe district administrator, Ms Tsana Chirau said: “I have just received some communication that a doctor has just assumed duty at the hospital. Yes there has been no doctor since late last year when the only doctor at the institution resigned.
“The new doctor brings to two the number of doctors at the hospital although the other one is a dentist.”