The Silence That Costs Lives: How Clannism and Hushed Acquiescence Undermine the Health Care System: Dollo Addo Hospital

Abstract

This is an investigative piece of narratives that presents a firsthand field-based assessment of the Dollo Addo primary hospital, a vital health facility for the cross-border and refugee population in the area. The hospital accommodates a vast number of specialized medical personnel despite its remote setting and devastating health facilities. The hospital suffers from operational dysfunction, severe infrastructural decay, and systematic mismanagement. Employing a qualitative approach, including staff interviews, facility walkthroughs, and patient case reviews, critical service failures and operational troubles were observed, such as issues with water hygiene and sanitary systems, emergency services, procurement governance, discretionary financial expenditure, power supply irregularities, poor chain of command, and communication channels. Specialist staff remain idle due to a lack of surgical and basic diagnostic tools. Moreover, two-thirds of the hospital's budget is disbursed for informal salary top-ups and an under-the-table pay procedure, thereby sustaining the dysfunctional system. Documented informal payments during the field assessment, along with an inconsistent supply chain, further undermine patient trust and equitable access. Additionally, the internal governance system is marred by weak transparency, fragmented accountability, and a lack of prioritization. Thus, the report urges an immediate realignment of resources towards equipment provision, infrastructural rehabilitation, and a transparent governance system. It also calls for actionable strategies in line with Ethiopia’s Health Sector Transformation Plan II (HSTP-II), including service readiness, need-based and comparable hiring procedures, and an optimistic referral network. In a nutshell, the report advocates for substantive investment in lifesaving system installation rather than symbolic staffing for political visibility and financial informalities, thereby restoring system functionality and dignity in frontline healthcare.