• By Chollastic Tjehiua

The public hospital in Khorixas is under fire from the very community it is meant to serve, with demands for the removal of a medical doctor.

Allegations of misconduct, patient neglect, and staff intimidation have been levelled against the doctor, identified as Dr. Kenga, with disturbing claims that he is being protected by individuals in the management of the regional health directorate.

In the most recent incident, Dr. Kenga is said to have arrived at the health facility’s casualty section on 6 April 2025, seemingly furious, whereupon he immediately launched a verbal attack on the nurse on duty before addressing the patient with a belittling speech that smacked of sexual innuendo. “I encountered Dr. Kenga in Khorixas, and in short, he has no manners. He is very rude,” the patient said, revealing that she went to the hospital because she slipped and fell on her elbow and was in pain.

“He appeared visibly furious upon arrival and soon attempted to physically confront a nurse on duty. Several female nurses intervened to protect their colleague and de-escalate the situation. The incident left other patients and staff members shaken,” the patient, who requested anonymity, told Confidente.

“He started asking me if I have a boyfriend and how many times I have sex with my boyfriend per week. I was not sure if he was interested in me, since those questions were irrelevant to the context of my complaints. Because I declined to respond to most of those funny questions, he addressed me in a way I felt so belittled, and ever since then, I am reluctant to seek medical assistance at the hospital,” the patient further revealed. 

SPARKED CONCERN
The episode, according to the source, has sparked concern among community members about the safety of healthcare workers and the level of professionalism within this public healthcare establishment. “Why should we feel uneasy visiting our own community hospital?” the patient questioned, calling on the Ministry of Health and the Medical Council to assess whether proper staffing procedures are being followed.

“Tot wanneer sal hierdie persoon aanhou om sulke gereelde chaos te veroorsaak?” she queried in Afrikaans. Loosely translated, it means: “Until when will this person keep on causing such chaos”?

“If it were any of us at our work places, we would have long been fired. This individual continues unchecked, protected from ac-
countability, while the rest of us suffer. The community has lost trust in this hospital,” she said. The frustrations are not isolated. Several community members and staff have hinted at a long-standing culture of silence, where complaints against Dr. Kenga, a senior doctor, are ignored or quietly buried. It is suspected that someone with influence is allegedly shielding the accused from consequences.

The whistleblower expressed deep frustration and disappointment with the hospital in Khorixas, saying that the community has completely lost faith in its services. Despite being the only public healthcare facility available in the area, the hospital has become a source of concern. The individual also suggested that the ministry might be allowing this situation to continue unchecked, implying that the government is neglecting the needs of the Damara community.

“We need to take action ourselves to save our people,” she stressed. Efforts were made to contact Dr. Kenga regarding the allegations raised against him. Attempts to reach him via the hospital’s official landline yielded no result. He was eventually reached via his mobile phone, and when asked to respond to the allegations, Dr. Kenga responded with, “No, I can’t reply to you,” before ending the call.

Confidente is in possession of a video depicting the confrontation between Dr. Kenga and the male nurse. The video has also gone viral on social media.