Outapi District Hospital has been under severe pressure due to a high influx of patients, including referrals from Angola.

Adding to that is a shortage of doctors, which continues to strain the facility.

Speaking to NBC News at the hospital, Nurse Manager Charles Indongo said the facility is overwhelmed by the high number of patients coming through Mahenene Health Centre and other health facilities.

He stated that d the situation becomes particularly challenging during malaria seasons, when many patients from Angola are referred to the hospital in critical condition.

The hospital has nine doctors against 23 vacant posts, while at health centers only 10 are filled, leaving a gap of 23.

“So they are being referred here, and the district is now very much overwhelmed. During the malaria season, in particular, we used to receive a lot of malaria cases, with most of the patients coming from Angola. With these referrals, many of them arrive in critical condition, often only reaching the hospital when their condition has already become serious.”

Indongo further noted that the hospital manages about 450 cases daily, including paediatric and general emergencies and patients requiring follow-ups, as well as those coming for pharmacy refills.

He highlighted the shortage of doctors as one of the hospital's major challenges, saying although the facility has enough nurses, the high patient turnout continues to overwhelm staff.

“One of the major challenges we are facing here is a shortage of doctors. We do not have enough doctors in the district or at the hospital. The number of nurses is better; we have enough, but we are still overwhelmed by the number of patients seeking care.”

The hospital has 218 nurse posts, but only 183 are filled.

Indongo appealed to the government to fill the vacant doctor positions, saying that it could help ease the pressure on the hospital.

He also noted that the facility is receiving and admitting tuberculosis cases referred from Angola.