Hospital hours outrage

The Minister of Health, Tuitama Dr. Leao Tuitama, has dismissed criticisms of the health service from angry members of the public who say the opening hours for the General Outpatient clinic are simply “pathetic.”

“There shouldn’t be any problems in relation to these changes,” Tuitama told the Samoa Observer yesterday.

“The emergency service is still providing service 24 hours except for the general outpatient.”

And the General Outpatient is precisely what has caused so much anger among members of the public, especially parents and patients who have been subjected to rejection because of the new hours.

For some time now, the opening hours have been the subject of much criticism. For example, from Monday to Friday, the General Outpatient opens from 8am until 10pm. For Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, it is opened from 8am to 4pm.

The Samoa Observer has fielded many complaints from members of the public who claim they have been turned away after 10pm. In one instance, a mother said at closing time, the doctor packed up and left.

“They told me that the next doctor would come to work at 2am,” the parent who only wants to be identified as Sara said.

“I was so sad. It would have been okay if it was the old outpatient but with the new building, it was freezing. My son was sick and I couldn't stand the thought of staying there in the cold until 2am so we left and came home."

“The next day, we borrowed money from a relative to take him to a private doctor.” Other angry members of the public have taken to social media to vent their frustrations.

One of them wrote: “To be told to "go home and come back tomorrow" and that "there is only one Doctor on duty and they are busy with the emergencies" is really quite depressing for a country who has graduated from being a Least Developed Country to a Middle Income Level Country- po'o a ea ga mea. lol."

“Sicknesses don't have schedules."

And sometimes, people (parents) don’t see reason when their four year old is sobbing about her sore ear.

“Hearing that there are emergencies at the back (that requires the attention of the ONE Doctor on duty) when you see almost 100 mothers and fathers with (badly) coughing/crying infants doesn’t quite sink in at two in the morning.”

“I am sure we can prepare some sort of schedule that is better than this? Services like the Hospital and Police Departments should always, always be open and ready to cater for the people.”

At the Tupua Tamasese Meaole yesterday, members of the public who spoke to the Samoa Observer were unanimous that the government – or in this case the Ministry of Health – has got it completely wrong.

“What’s the point of having a new hospital when it closes at ten?”

Logotaeao Le’au said. “I want to remind the government that we are talking about matters of life and death. They don’t have control over a life. There is no such thing as ‘only emergency issues.’ Who determines what an emergency is what is not?”

Another patient Tautolo said the closing hours is probably the result of the shortage of doctors.

“This is what happens when they don’t pay doctors well,” he said.

“They end up leaving and now we don’t have enough doctors and because there is a shortage, these doctors need to rest to.”

“That means members of the public will have to be sacrificed. This is very sad, these hours are pathetic.”

Mailo To’omata from Vaoala agrees and he is urging the government to recruit more doctors.

“It’s a must,” he said. “We are talking about the lives of people here.

We are not talking about fixing cars or a bus that you can go and get it from a shop or a spare part to replace it.”

“Once you lose a life, that’s the end of your world - you die. Period.”

Mailo said there is no point in having brand new health facilities when the most essential services are not available.

“The General Outpatient clinic of any hospital is one of the most important parts of it,” he said.

“This is where people seek refuge at all hours of the day and night. They shouldn’t close it at 10pm.”

“What’s the use of this magnificent brand new hospital when people are turned away because there are no doctors?”

Asked for a comment, the Minister of Health downplayed the concerns say there are doctors available throughout the night to assist with all kinds of emergencies.