Unit Clinical staff
Specialist, MOs , Interns, Comm Serves,
Nursing: Prof Nurses, ENAs, NAs etc.
Any support staff e.g. Programme Manager,
What is this unit /Dept about?
It’s an outpatient department, which is currently operating from Monday to Friday on a weekly basis.
We operate from 07:00-16:00.Our clients are referred to us by Medical officers and other specialists, like psychiatrists and psychologists, and they also come from other hospitals around the province for admission.
What are its specialized services (what does the unit offer)?
We admit clients from referral hospitals around North West on a daily basis. We offer routine follow-ups on a monthly basis for our clients. They come to collect medications that are not available in their local clinics. We operate as a one-stop station. meaning we accept all the clients’ needs. When our client is also suffering from other chronic conditions we are able to give treatment for all conditions.
Our clinic operates like this:
Mondays we have an assessment by MPT for clients who are referred from outside as first visits.
Tuesdays is a clinic for follow-up of children
Wednesdays is a clinic for the male follow up and there’s also an ADHD clinic for the assessment of children.
Thursday is a clinic for female follow-ups.
We also refer our outpatients to psychologists, social workers, eye clinic, dieticians, and OT.
What is the disease profile of your Unit?
We are a psychiatric clinic, but as said we care for other chronic conditions to avoid the clients moving from one hospital to the other to collect treatment. We treat all mental health conditions, referrals from social, and development we also admit.
How does one get access to the unit (through grooming or straight)?
Mostly our clients are referred by medical doctors and psychiatrists, and the children are referred by the school once they identify some behavioral problems. Clients cannot come straight from home, they need to be referred by someone mentioned above.
What type of diagnosis do you admit at your unit?
All mental health conditions including the social development clients who have mental conditions due to substances. Children with behavioural problems.
Are there any competent skilled nurses or doctors working specially for the unit?
Mostly our professional nurses are trained in basic psychiatry. Doctors are also trained. There are psychologists and psychiatrists who are specialized in these services.
How many are they and what do they specialize with?
We have medical officers of about six to eight with intern doctors who are trained to assess clients.
Nurses are about 8-110 on a daily basis for doing vital signs. Professional nurses who are administering injections and other medications as prescribed by the doctors. Queue marshal x2 ensures that clients are going to the right places at all times .they manage the queue and waiting times of clients.
What machines medical equipment: diagnostic / treatment / do you use at the unit?
We use medical equipment’s like, blood glucose machines, Thermometers ,scales ,vital signs monitors, Urine dip sticks, blood specimens bottles ,pregnancy test , urine dip sticks. ECG Machines, Oxygen cylinders, HB meters, suction machines .ENT SET. We have a fully emergency trolley as well as emergency tray.
How effective are the systems and machines in assisting with the speedy recovery of the patients?
Fully effective, we have all the systems in place, when blood is taken it is sent on the same day to the laboratory and a follow-up within two-three days is made to get the reports back. Clients are also referred to other hospitals for chronic conditions.
Do you think your dept is making a difference as a Mental & Rehabilitation Hospital Service?
The department is doing very well, this has being seen through our client’s surveys they are positive. Most of our clients that are down refereed come back and report that our service is good. Some refused to be down-referred due to good service. They also claim a shortage of medication at other facilities.
What makes the staff in the unit win (succeed)?
Good team work as a lot of team building activities
The staff has positive and good relations. There is also good communication since we have our meeting weekly and discuss issues that happened during the week and we all come up with solutions to all issues as a team.
What are EXPECTATIONS from patients and the public /your facilities?
The public expects quality services .they expect to wait within the expected period of time only. They need their medications. Good staff attitude. Clean environment as well as risk-free environment.
How do you deal with such expectations?
We do weekly in-service training to our staff regarding the procedures. We encourage pour clients to complain, compliment and suggests and we act immediately to their request, we follow up the complaints and resolve them within the appropriate time frame.
