CONSTRUCTION work in the Central State Hospital's kitchen has been compromising patients' health for almost a month, since food is being prepared there despite the renovations.

The Namibian yesterday visited the kitchen after being tipped off that little was being done to screen off the construction work to keep the patients' food clean.

Kitchen staff complained about dust and cement getting into the food and said they had not been issued with masks to protect them from inhaling the dust.Kitchen staff were cooking in the same area where construction workers were breaking out floor tiles and pushing out wheelbarrows with rubble.

They said they had been working in these conditions since the beginning of the month, and the hospital management was aware of the situation but had done nothing about it.

A senior official of the Health Ministry called an emergency meeting in the kitchen yesterday. The Namibian understands that hospital management, the catering company, the contractor and a representative of the Ministry of Works attended.  The Namibian also understands that construction was suspended until the kitchen is partitioned and the cooking area cordoned off.

The Namibian was also informed that the Health Minister and Health Permanent Secretary were only informed of the kitchen's state yesterday. The catering contract at the two State hospitals in Windhoek was recently awarded to Fedics Food Services after Roynam left the Ministry high and dry with a month to go before the expiry of their contract.

Fedics now has a six-month contract to supply food to patients at the two hospitals. In recent months, The Namibian also reported on alleged large-scale theft of food and other items by hospital staff.

This caused an outcry by hospital staff about the management's alleged reluctance to act against those who seem to be stealing hospital property with impunity.
The Namibian was unable to get comment from the Ministry yesterday and several calls went unanswered.