Prominent hospital in al-Hodaidah shuts down

Despite the worst health situation in the country as  a whole , however Hodeida  has its special conditions , due to the intensive population and the good environment for disease spread.

Al-Olifi hospital in Hodeida, which is one of the biggest hospitals in the city, is experiencing  difficult situations for several years. recently it is decreased its activities to a quarter of its capacity, after its management was compelled to shut down three floors of the hospital because they are on the brink of collapse. Moreover it  lacks basics for facing the growing demand for the hospital’s services.

Yemen Observer visited the hospital and filed the following report:

The technical manager of al-Olfi Hospital in al-Hodaidah Dr Abu Baker Ahmad Hussain revealed that three quarters of the Hospital will shut down because of the deteriorating situation of the building.

Dr Abu Baker complained of a lack of sufficient resources to rebuild the hospital saying that there has been no response from the Ministry of Health or the health office in al-Hodaidah province.

“We had been demanding that the Ministry of Health and the health office here help to maintain the building but we receive only promises and no action,” Dr Abu Baker said.

“We can’t do it ourselves because of lack of funds, its need urgent central financing before there is a disaster,” he added.

During the last two years the hospital management tried a number of restorations in some sections but it affected the emergency center which has witnessed a lack of equipment and health materials already on a strained operational budget.

Dr Fawaz al-Kohlani the deputy general manager of the hospital said that most of the patients arrived to the hospital are poor and can’t afford  to pay for the hospital services, so the hospital offers its services for little charge.

“There is no income for the hospital, most of the patients receive free services,” Dr. Fawaz said.

According to both deputy general manager and technical manager at the hospital the bad finical situation is a result of low income in addition to a stretched operational budget which amounts to YR five million a month.

“70% of this amount goes to feeding the patients, the rest of the money goes to cleaning, clothes, and maintenance work,” Dr. Fawaz explained.

Regarding the patients complaints of lack of medical staff in the hospital Dr. Fawaz agreed but he said he can do little because the solution is not in his hand.

“We have ten Russian Doctors, three of them on annul vacation and the others contracts are finished. The Minister of Health has not replaced them,” he explained.

“The brain and nerves doctor’s contract finished six years ago and until now they still have not sent us an alternative doctor,” Dr. al-Kohlani said.

“The foreigner doctors come to the hospital without any documents, they have just a letter from the Ministry of Health ordering us to except them as doctors,” he added.

 In the hospital most of the medical team complains that they don’t receive their finical benefits and they accuse the management.

Dr Abu Baker Ahmad Hussain the technical manager of the hospital admitted the staff complains but he refused to put the responsibility on the management of the hospital.

“40% of the support should be payed to the medical staff, but when we have no  support how can I give them their rights?” he wondered.

“The hospital bears the costs of staff , poor people from seven provinces around us, unidentified people, Somali refugees and victims of the traffic accidents in Saudi Arabia – Hardh road, in addition to those who are sent to us by the province leadership for free medical treatment,” Dr Abu Baker said.

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