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Patients sleeping on the floor in Harare hoispitals
By Tererai Karimakwenda
05 December 2005
As the healthcare system in the country continues to deteriorate without any solutions in sight, the scenes at many hospitals do not make a pretty picture. Our Harare correspondent Simon Muchemwa visited several hospitals at the weekend and reports that he saw patients sleeping on the floor.
It has been known since last year that hospitals were putting mattresses on the floor, but this is the first time we have heard of them actually being put on the cold floor. Muchemwa did say they had lots of blankets under them, and that this does not excuse the situation.
According to Muchemwa, the hospital most affected was Parirenyatwa in Harare. Patients referred there from the clinics were finding no empty beds. Muchemwa alleged that one patient who arrived while they were there on Saturday died on the stretcher after waiting 6 hours for a doctor.
The other institution he visited was Harare hospital. He said patients were scattered all over the floors.
Muchemwa described how some long-term patients are being sent home before their treatment is complete to make room for new arrivals. Many are being made to pay before admission, because hospitals have accrued billions in unpaid medical bills. Medication is still in short supply.
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