Albazine Health Centre in Maputo labours in filth – O País

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Albazine Health Centre in Maputo labours in filth – O País

4:44 CAT | 19 Jan 2021

Photo: O País

The Albazine Health Centre in Maputo is drowning in garbage, obviously un-collected for a long time. Grass is growing wild with no obvious attempt to cut it back or de-litter it, and there is no water for handwashing in the buckets placed there for this purpose.

The municipality says it is aware of the situation and has promised to work to address the problem.

Where there should only be properly disposed hospital waste, ‘O País’ saw countless empty soft drink bottles. Garbage is strewn on the floor, and even on the benches where patients are supposed to wait.

Samaria Marindza, who went to the health unit looking for assistance, told ‘O Pais’ that she was outraged by the situation, and did not understand how a hospital could present such a picture.

The scenario is one of genuine filth, just at a time when health authorities are urging the public to intensify hygiene measures to contain the spread of Covid-19.

Rosa Timane, a patient at the hospital, says that the situation has already prevailed for two years, and that patients do not even use the bathrooms because they are so dirty.

The hand-washing buckets for coronavirus prevention were almost empty when ‘O País’ visited, and some didn’t even have soap. The bathrooms were not only flooded by leaking taps, but their nauseating smell permeated the place, which was literally bursting at the steams.

“I think that they [the hospital managers] should improve the place, even just starting by taking out the garbage. This [garbage] can cause serious problems for patients,” said Sidónia Augusto, another patient.

Maputo City Council, which is responsible for the health unit, said it would take measures to put an end to the filth. When? It did not specify.

Source: O País