Pictorial: A doctor’s visit to Shashamane Referral Hospital. The good and the bad
Addis Abeba, Aug. 10/2018 – Dr. Nuredin Luke is a General Practitioner working at a hospital in west Arsi zone of the Oromia regional state around Shashemene area, some 250 km south east of Addis Abeba. But he is also a medical practitioner who uses his voice to advocate for a better health care system in Oromia regional state and raise awareness on the dilapidated state of health care in the region.
On July 20, Dr. Nuredin wrote “an open letter to the Office of the President of Oromia National Regional State” detailing what he said were the “need to Depoliticize (or Re-politicize) Oromia’s Public Hospitals.”
And on August 08, he “paid a visit to Shashamane Referral Hospital after invitation by friends and some members of the Senior Management Team (SMT) of the hospital.”
Quote:
“I have the chance to revise some documents and have a talk with some physicians working in the hospital. They assisted me to understand that many of [the] unsolved problems in this hospital are those that need an attention of the bureau (ORHB). The bureau is unresponsive to demands and supports asked by the SMT of the hospital. I would like to thank physicians who took their time to show me this.”
Below is the photos he took and their captions describing the state of various sections of the hospital:
A Pediatric ward with more than 50 beds built by donation of Spanish government.
(G+2 )Emergency and OPD complex built by Center for Disease Control (CDC) of the USA, USAIDS fund. This was possible by effective diplomatic effort of the former CEO of the hospital.
Epilepsy and Psychiatry Center constructed by GRLA (Germany’s Leprosy & TB Relief in Africa) by generous donation of Dr. Charles Hall and Dr. Reinhard Merkens.
Donated by Italy based NGO and discarded even without providing service.
Modern operation theater only left with minor finishing and instillation. This OR can produce oxygen and has supply line within the building. It was being built by Italian government donation with Italian engineers. The engineers left the country and the theater didn’t start the service for the last three years.
Medical equipment stored inside that modern operation theater.
The roof and installation of the Operation theater whose finishing is delayed for more than three years.
An Ambulance given by donation and thrown here like waste material.
The only construction by Oromia Regional Health Bureau in the hospital. This construction was delayed for three years. The pre-planned design was changed and starts the construction very recently.
Where the CT-scan machine and Mammography are stored without service for the past seven years. AS
