Yemen Times Staff,
Taiz
Years after witnessing relative improvement, medical services at Khalifa General Hospital (KGH) have now deteriorated. Both the revenues and important medical equipment are being confiscated.
Seventy kilometers away from Taiz, KGH is situated between Alturbah-Alhujareiyah area. It was built in 1986 at the expenses of the sister State of Qatar to serve 1,500,000 patients mainly those arriving from Alturbah and Alshamatein districts.
Today KGH's medical activities are confined to treating malaria and cases of cold. The hospital was renowned for its characterized medical and technical cadres with distinguished medical equipment and services. Now there is not any financing.
What has gone wrong with this hospital? Who on earth wants to write-off this hospital which Qatar had donated its building to offer medical services to Alhujareiyah residents?
Although an immediate and comprehensive report could not be compiled, Yemen Times was able to meet some of "those concerned" and prepare this first-hand report.
Dr. Abduljaleel Abdullah Al-Aza'zi believes that the hospital services ought to have never deteriorated after the withdrawal of foreign health cadres and specialists. Doctors in service at present at the hospital ought to have not been deprived of their incentives. Dr.Aza'zi maintained that the hospital was at present offering treatment of ordinary cases of malaria, diarrhea and cold. Minor operations are also carried out in the absence of diagnostic equipment, calling upon the hospital administration to offer good interest and care to the technical cadre of the hospital.
Dr. Nabeel Qassem Muhammed has the following to say: "With the exception of a Yemeni specialist, others available are GPs (general physicians). Owing to non-payment of incentives and absence of moral incentive to the doctors, technicians and nursing staff, medical services have deteriorated." He adds: " We sit idle during afternoons whereas allowing us run our own private clinics could help improve our financial status. We are in no way different from doctors who work at other hospitals in the Republic." Dr Muhammed inquired: "And why not, as it is owing to non-availability of equipment and specialists, most cases are sent to Taiz for diagnoses." He concluded by saying: " Our senior officials can solve our and the hospital's problems as well as the countrymen's."
But Dr. Fadhl Abdulkareem Abduljabbar, Deputy Director General of KGH, was too frank. He explained the facts by saying: " Indeed the Hospital was the first health utility to be opened in Alhujareiyah. The only difference which has appeared was that the Hospital budget shifted from State of Qatar to the Republic of Yemen." Dr. Jabbar added: "The expenditure has been squeezed from that of a hospital to a clinic; subsequently the scale and grades of posts turned to be inappropriate." Escaping any responsibility, Dr. Jabbar asserted: "Justice has to be done so that we are able to carry out our duties. " Then the Dr. requested that "before you do any assessment over the Hospital's activities, just have a look into my budget."In the past doctors, technicians and nursing staff were paid 30% of the revenue; but today the same revenue is utilized to pay shift-duty and overtime allowances. "We do not have classified allocations." the Doctor said, adding: "We did write to the Ministry of Health complaining of deficits; but to no avail."Dr. Jabbar continued to say: "Surely enough, we have many shortages in equipment; particularly the X-Ray. It is rumored that we sold equipment; but this could not be proved."Elaborating the situation more precisely, he said: "True, the Hospital was largely renowned for availability of manpower on one hand and medical and technical facilities on the other as well as medicines. We had specialist Russian doctors and patients used to pour in from all provinces of the Republic. But then the services fell below the level in an abnormal manner owing to absence of medical cadres such as orthopedics, nasologists, dentists, cardiologists, ophthalmologist and also cadres in bioscopy and X-Ray. The lab, which has been given excellent services, had to be closed. In all, medical services deteriorated owing to lack of cadres. We keep searching for specialists."Giving further details, Dr. Jabbar said: " The operative sections at present are urinology , surgical, gynecology and obstetrics. All other cases are referred to Taiz. The average daily number of 300 out-patients dropped sharply. The number of in-patients does not exceed 45. Food supply is insufficient and patients have to buy medicines."So, this is the situation at KGH . It is surrounded by garbage and poor sewage system. We would like to know the opinion of the Director of Health Office in Taiz.
And, what shall be our position in case a Qatri delegation visited this Hospital which has now been converted into a small-scale clinic, treating only malaria and flu' ??