Ezulwini – The Ministry of Health quality management programme technical advisor, Thabang Masangane, has acknowledged customer care shortfalls within public health facilities that may cause frustrations among dissatisfied patients.
Masangane speaking during the media briefing on the World Patient Safety Day at The Bethel Court in Ezulwini said although customer care is within the health structures, they have been to some level appraised about some of the policies that warrant reforms.
He said within each health facilities there are officers tied with quality Focal persons who report to management on customer care.
Masangane said the public health system introduced a daily limit of patient intake in some departments on which management has been appraised upon.
For Masangane, this system has created a gap in attaining quality customer care.
“We recently resolved to have the number of patients turned away based on the daily limit system analysed. This will inform the currently imposed policy and directive that motivates attending to a certain number. The analysis will inform on whether it is time to review the policy on not,” he said.
Masangane said they received more negative feedback from patients needing dentistry attention. He said in the Mbabane Government Hospital only 20 patients per day are attended to with this policy imposed.
“This is going to be reviewed and the services will be maintained throughout the day,” he said.
Masangane also said they have also been receiving feedback from family members of patients on dialysis.
He said there were still poor care instances where patients are forced to take public transportation straight from the hospital. Masangane said such patients need extra care from the next of kin because of being weak after the procedure.
Masangane said to reduce such cases, public health is in the process of reforming its decentralisation policies through decentralisation, reducing workload and cues in health facilities.
“It will eliminate travelling long distances such as Nhlangano or Matsapha to Mbabane. Strengthening the decentralisation would lead to positive outcomes. These services will be readily available,” he said.
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