Ounongo Repository (Namibia Univ. of Science and Technology)
Ounongo Repository (Namibia Univ. of Science and Technology)Not a member yet
826 research outputs found
Sort by
Assessment of doctor-patient communication at Adama Hospital Medical College: A symbolic interactionist perspective
No full textPreviously published article: Woldemariam, H.Z. and Hundessa, AB. (2021). Assessment of Doctor-Patient Communication at Adama Hospital Medical College: A Symbolic Interactionist Perspective. Arsi Journal of Sciences and Innovations. 6(2)pp 35--75. https://www.arsiun.edu.et/index.php/2015-11-01-15-27-32/research-publication-dissemination/arsi-journal-of-science-innovation/current-issueThis study followed a symbolic interactionist theoretical framework and positivist paradigm to assess doctor-patient communication at Adama Hospital Medical College (AHMC). Specifically, it assessed the communication competencies of medical doctors (with their own inpatients), investigated how inpatients interact with their doctors and evaluated the major barriers to doctor-patient medical communication. A descriptive, explanatory, and cross-sectional study designs were followed. Out of 66 medical doctors of AHMC, 36 were selected as they were more directly and highly involved with bed-ridden patients in six wards and the remaining 22 were much more occupied with teaching and the management of the hospital and were not readily available for this study. A total sample size of 180 (144 patients + 36 medical) respondents were included. An SPSS 16 was used for presenting quantitative data and emerging themes guided the qualitative data analysis. The study found out that all medical doctors practice greeting socially and treat patients with due respect. The qualitative data indicated that some doctors exhibited communicative competence failures, and some lacked the cultural competence needed to comprehend traditional expressions. Due to heavy workload, some medical doctors show lack of interest. However, almost all doctors confirmed that they show interest in the patient’s ideas about their health. Generally, doctors allocated little time with patients who were not in a very critical situation. Almost all medical doctors assumed that they devoted their time to understand the main health concerns of patients and gave much attention. Those patients from the rural communities were often interrupted because they did not talk about their illnesses openly. This implies that some medical doctors lacked a profound knowledge of cultural communicative competence. Patients used traditional and vague expressions. Factors such as avoiding medical jargons, recounting the next steps, giving much care and concern, apportioning sufficient time, and writing legibly have been considered as major elements influencing medical communication. In the three factors (showing interest, understanding, and giving attention), doctors have been evaluated good communicators. This current study identified communication barriers and their possible causes. Some of these barriers have been caused due to poor communication skills, lack of the proper sense of confidentiality, the misuse or inappropriate use of medical jargons, lack of spacious workspace, language difference, the patients’ low level of understanding sickness, patients’ low level of education, inappropriate use of cultural and vague expressions, poor time allocation, patients’ taking too much time due to unnecessary repetitions, the gap between substantive lab evidence versus oral evidence and lack of family partnership and responsibility. Among other suggestions, the study recommends that the hospital needs to design a communication strategy to address these communication gaps
Exploring postmodern elements in Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o’s Wizard of the Crow
No full textTHESIS PRESENTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE
DEGREE OF MASTER OF ENGLISH AND APPLIED LINGUISTICS AT THE NAMIBIA
UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (NUST)This thesis is an exploration of Postmodern elements in Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s novel Wizard of the Crow
(2006). The study employed a content analysis approach whereby the novel was studied in depth in order
to extract themes relating to postmodernism and align them with the type of leadership in Kenya. This is
a qualitative desktop study, and the analysis was informed on the grounds of postmodernism theoretical
framework. This theory assisted in examining the relationship between the Kenyan elite in the new
government as they exploit and mistreat their own people for the benefit of few individuals as well as the
emancipation of the masses from exploitation, oppression and discrimination from their own people. The
postmodernism theory assisted in analysing how the masses are trying to defend and free themselves
against their exploiters, the ruling elite. An example is how Nyawira mobilises her fellow women and the
masses to boycott all government projects that are only benefiting the ruling elites leaving the rest of the
population to suffer.
The findings of the study revealed that the most persistent concern of Ngugi’s literary work is the
exploitation of the masses as a result of colonial structures and policies that are generated by the ruling
elite as an imitation of the modern world from the West. In this novel, Ngugi used a postmodern style of
writing such as creating grotesque bodies and characters as well as magic realism to show that there is a
link between exploitation and violations of the rights of the masses in Kenya. The study further revealed
that there is a continuous struggle for justice and freedom from the ruling elite by the masses and it can
be concluded that the Kenyan people are aware of the evil deeds and acts of their leaders and they are
planning a revolution to liberate themselves from the hands of the elite. The study recommends that
literary texts of this nature written in other countries need to be unpacked as what Ngugi expresses
through his style of writing about Kenyan leaders is not only happening in Kenya, but it is also witnessed
in the leadership of several African countries as well. Fiction in other genres such as poetry and drama
that carries the same message need to be brought to attention as well in order to bring the plight of the
masses to light as the possible solutions to political and socio-economic woes not only in Kenya, but also
elsewhere in the world
Identity formation in the diaspora: an analysis of the eternal audience of One by Remy Ngamije and The Maestro, The Magistrate and the Mathematician by Tendai Huchu
No full textThe objective of this study was to analyse identity formation in the diaspora in the two African
authored novels, The Eternal Audience of One (2019) and The Maestro, the Magistrate and
the Mathematician (2014). The study applied the postcolonial theory using the tenets of the
“other,” “third space” and hybridity. In the modern world, citizens move from one country to
another for various reasons, but mainly for greener pastures. Such movements have
necessitated the formation of diaspora communities. The two texts investigated in this study
have diaspora communities in Namibia and Scotland, respectively. Consequently, the present
study investigated identity formations of the Rwandan and Zimbabwean diaspora
communities in Namibia and Scotland. Identity formation in the diaspora is problematic as a
result of cultural differences between the host country and the home country. The study
findings revealed that the new migrant communities in the diaspora react differently to
“othering” and “third space” negotiation in the identity formation process according to their
differing generations. First generation immigrants seemed to be affected the worst by
“othering” and found it difficult to negotiate the “third space” compared to the other
generations in the two texts. Evolution into hybrid characters was also shown to differ
accordingly, with some characters growing into successful hybrids and others failing dismally.
Furthermore, the study revealed the importance of the home culture, even in the state of
memory, in identity formation in the diaspora. The study recommends further research be
done on how women are affected by identity creations, bearing the fact that they carry a
double burden of bearing children in foreign lands
A linguistic investigation into selected newspaper reports on women and child abuse in Namibia from 2018 - 2019
No full textTHESIS PRESENTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF ENGLISH AND APPLIED LINGUISTICS AT THE NAMIBIA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE
AND TECHNOLOGYThe purpose of this study was to Investigate the use of Functional Linguistics on selected
newspaper reports about women and children in Namibia from 2018-2019. Newspaper reports
are the largest traditionally accepted type of news feed that is a source of information for the
Namibian literate community. A total of 30 related newspaper reports were selected and
studied. Data was collected both online and from hard printed newspapers from the Namibian
and the New Era newspapers. The study applied the Systematic Functional Linguistics theory as
a framework for analysis. Themes that were identified and examined include the use of
reporting verbs, interpersonal and textual functions related themes. Although the present study
is not a psychological and behavioural study, the study is sought to investigate linguistic
elements on the abuse of women and children and found men to be culpable as the most
abusers. The study established that African male especially feel that beating up a woman assert
their patriarchal role of power in society. The study found out that social reporting verbs were
used in the writing of newspaper reports to oppress women and children. This means that the
writers unknowingly glorify the male abusers while they succeed in giving information to the
society. The major causes of violence against women and children were found out to be alcohol
and drug abuse. When a man returns home after a night of drinking, they resort to beating
women. The men tend to ignore that he is broke the next morning because he spent too much
on his personal needs. The study also found out that the weapon used to commit murder
against women in Namibia is a panga, a traditional knife kept in a wooden case. Guns and knives
were also used to physically attack women and children. Lastly, it is still a taboo in Africa for a
woman to leave her marital home because of an abusive husband. Society sees the woman as
weak. The study recommends that other linguistic theories such as those of traditional,
structural, or transformational grammar can be applied to similar studies. It further
recommends that the violent abusive male can be studied to establish the reverse factors that
contribute to the abusive physical action
INVESTIGATION INTO NEWSPAPERS’ ADHERENCE TO COPYRIGHT REGULATIONS IN NAMIBIA
No full textThis study sought to investigate how Namibian newspapers are adhering to copyright laws and
regulations, especially in the era of media convergence. It also investigated how selected mainstream
media organisations are either empowered or disempowered by the current copyright regulations,
which were passed in 1994. It also assessed whether the current copyright laws used in Namibia made
provisions for the use of open copyright licensing like Creative Commons. This study used a qualitative
research methodology, consisting of document analysis and in-depth interviews. In order to collect
primary data, interviews were conducted with journalists and editors from three media organisations in
Windhoek, Namibia. These were The Namibian, New Era, and Economist. These media organisations
were purposively sampled. According to the study, the majority of interviewees at The Namibian, New
Era, and Economist newspapers follow the copyright regulations enshrined in the Copyright and
Neighboring Rights Protection Act 6 of 1994.However, despite their religious adherence to the Act, most
of the respondents explained that the legislative framework was now outdated and applied in the digital
age, where content creation, distribution, and consumption are driven by multi-platforms. In the
context of media convergence, respondents indicated that their content is often plagiarized by content
vultures, which are dotted across the globe. They also observed that there are no safeguards in the
current law to protect them from copyright transgressors.
It was also revealed that most editors and journalists are aware of copyright regulations and their
importance in publishing or unpublishing editions of news, articles, or information dissemination. It was
also found that newspapers in Namibia follow copyright regulations with regards to attribution and
referencing materials sourced from online and archival sources. The findings also demonstrated that the
three media organizations recognized the importance of progressive copyright regulations. It was also
found that editors and journalists are making efforts toward copyright regulations' provisions for open
access copyright licensing or fair use dealing exceptions like creative commons. The study found that
attribution is compulsory when journalists and editors use or reuse copyrighted works with the
provision of creative commons or fair use dealing exceptions. Conversely, the study revealed that the
majority of the newspaper institutions, editors, or journalists are less aware of the International
Copyright Act or treaties such as the Berne Convention, WIPO’s Copyright Treaty (WCT), WIPO’s
Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT), and Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights
(TRIPS)
Examining trauma and resilience in two Namibian texts: Making a Difference and Mukwahepo
No full textTHESIS PRESENTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF ENGLISH AND APPLIED LINGUISTICS AT THE NAMIBIA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE
AND TECHNOLOGY (NUST)The purpose of this study was to examine trauma and resilience in two Namibian Texts:
Making a difference and Mukwahepo. The texts comprise of a biography and an
autobiography respectively. The authors are two female Namibian authors who shared their
experiences during the Namibian war of liberation. They present their stories from two similar
experiences. The trauma and resilience theories were applied as a lens to try and understand
how they suffered and what mechanisms they engaged to overcome their struggles. The
study used a qualitative method to analyse the two texts. The text selection criteria was used
to select these two texts. First, these texts are Namibian female-authored novels that were
not previously studied, and therefore do not repeat a previous formal study. There are no
previous established works of the Namibian literature that narrate liberation war historical
events. These Namibian-authored texts offer a new set of understanding that nourishes that
Namibian literary scene. There are very few literature authors and scholars in Namibia that it
is merely impossible to conduct a proper literature review. The study results established that
trauma could impact individuals in different ways depending on their traumatic experiences.
The most traumatising experiences of Mukwahepo was living in poverty in independent
Namibia after sacrificing a lifetime contributing to the liberation struggle. On the other hand,
although Amathila did not live a life of poverty, liberation war memories still haunted her to
an extent that she ended up divorced. This was because she spent long periods of time
separated from her husband, Ben Amathila during the liberation struggle and in postindependent
Namibia. Both Mukwahepo and Amathila overcame their traumatic experiences
by sharing their experiences in autobiographical and biographical writing. Mukwahepo who
was barren, resorted to adopting refugee camp children as a way of comforting herself.
Similar to Amathila, she devoted her life in health services developmental projects in
independent Namibia. The study recommends that female Namibian liberation war veterans
need emotional support from government and fellow comrades to heal them from their
traumatic experiences of the liberation struggle
EXAMINING THE EFFECT OF ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE ON THE CAPABILITY OF PUBLIC RELATIONS PRACTITIONERS TO MANAGE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS: A CASE OF SELECTED STATE OWNED ENTERPRISES IN WINDHOEK, NAMIBI
No full textSocial media has had a significant impact on the practice of public relations since the emergence of
digital media. Organisations around the world have had to embrace social media platforms to
support or facilitate communication. However, the use of social media has varied from one
organisation to another. Experiences of using these platforms for public relations activities have also
varied among Public Relations Practitioners (PRPs). This has been attributed to various factors,
including, among others, PRPs ability to operate or use these platforms. Structure, defined as rules
and resources, can influence how employees’ function in any organisation. Structure thus assumes
that a set of rules and resources available to PRPs to manage social media platforms is at the core of
an organisation’s operations. Thus, using a qualitative approach and Anthony Giddens’s
structuration theory, this study examined the effect of organisational structure on the capabilities of
PRPs to manage various social media platforms with a specific focus on commercial State-owned
Enterprises (SOEs) in Namibia. The study found that structure does impact how PRPs in State-owned
Enterprises manage social media platforms. Findings showed how rules and resources in
organisations could influence PRPs use of social media platforms. Based on these findings, the study
argues that there is a need to understand the influence of ‘structure’ as a starting point towards
effectively enabling PRPs to use social media platforms for communication purposes in
organisations
Thesis report presented for the research project in fulfilment for the degree of Master of Informatics At the NAMIBIA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
No full textInteroperability of health information systems (HIS) is a major challenge in many developing
countries and Namibia is no exception (Nengomasha, Abankwah, Uutoni, & Pazvakawamba,
2018). In Namibia, the MoHSS has failed to implement a fully functional integrated HIS, despite
continuous support made by numerous donors (Dlodlo & Hamunyela, 2017). As a result, the
MoHSS is facing difficulties in integrating these fragmented information systems due to their
differences in terms of platform and database structure. Putting in mind the challenges caused
by lack of integration, systems interoperability through a model has been identified as a fitting
solution which the research aimed to achieve. In order to achieve the research’s aim, three
objectives were identified. The first objective was to examine EPMS and EDT systems’ functional data
and compatibility issues. The second objective of this research was to analyse common reports
generated from EPMS and EDT systems and the challenges involved in producing a common and single
report. The final objective was to determine the processes that are required for EPMS and EDT
systems to integrate. To address these objectives, a design science research methodology was
applied in the development of the interoperability model. A qualitative data collection
methodology was adopted using document analysis of targeted documents and semi-structured
interviews with relevant departments of the MoHSS. The data collected through document
analysis was analysed using a content analysis approach, whereby a conceptual analysis method
was applied. Subsequently, data from semi-structured interviews were analysed using a thematic
data analysis approach.
The results show that EPMS and EDT systems are not compatible in terms of syntactic, conceptual,
and terminologies. The results also showed that EPMS and EDT systems have few clinical
operational discrepancies. The results further indicated that EPMS and EDT systems do not have
a common patient identifier, however, the two systems share a wide range of common input data
fields, which if shared can be a solution to incompleteness and reporting discrepancies. In terms
of ICT infrastructure, EPMS and EDT systems are standalone databases that are hosted on
iii
different networks. Also, most ART facilities do not have internet connections while some have
challenges with the network connection.
From a technical perspective, this research emphasises that EPMS and EDT systems can
interoperate. The research further, recommends that EPMS and EDT systems can interoperate
through adopting an integrated data model known as a canonical model. This technological
initiative will allow EPMS and EDT systems to exchange common input data fields by mapping
them together to create a single unified view that will help overcome the two systems’
heterogeneous nature in terms of conceptual, semantic and syntactic levels
Thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences, Namibia University of Science and Technology, Windhoek, Namibia.
No full textTwo point six million stillbirths occur annually with the majority of cases being from low
to middle‐income countries (LMICS) of Sub‐Saharan Africa. Infections, placental disorders, asphyxia
obstructive birth, poor antenatal care and immune‐mediated complications are amongst the top
contributors of stillbirths in LMICs. Foetal maternal haemorrhage (FMH) is associated with poor
pregnancy outcomes such as maternal alloimmunisation, foetal anaemia, haemolytic disease of the
foetus and new‐born (HDFN) and stillbirths. Although maternal response to FMH is poorly understood,
aggravated inflammatory response is suggested and its impact on organ function remains elusive.
Therefore, this study primarily aimed to determine whether FMH is associated with inflammation,
maternal alloimmunisation and altered hepatorenal function
Assessment and perception of water quality on the health of Grünau and Bethanie residents, Namibia.
No full textThesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the Award of a degree in Master of Health Sciences
In the Department of Health Sciences Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences At Namibia University of Science and Technology.Water quality is an important aspect of water provision services to ensure the water does not possess any possible threat to its consumers. Water quality perception surveys are ideal tools when exploring the feelings, opinions and attitudes people have towards their water. This includes the human-water interactions involved as well as behaviour and consumption practices they have with their water. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perception of consumers towards their water and determine the water quality and its effect on human health – a case of Grünau and Bethanie residents. This was an observational study, where questionnaires were administered, and water quality tests were carried out to determine the physical, chemical and biological contaminants of public water supply in Grünau and Bethanie settlements. The study sample consists of 384 participants selected using the convenience sampling method. Data from the questionnaire were recorded and analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21 as well as the descriptive analysis. Ethical clearance was sought from The Namibia University of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Health and Social Services as well as the respective village councils. Confidentiality and anonymity of the respondents were maintained during the study. The study revealed that consumer perception of the quality of public water supply in the study area is based mainly on organoleptic features, such as taste, colour and turbidity. In addition, the study found that 64.6% of the participants in the study area were strongly dissatisfied or somewhat dissatisfied with the taste of their water while 52.1% were strongly dissatisfied or somewhat dissatisfied with the colour. The smell of the water did not seem to affect the respondents as only 2.3% of the participants were strongly dissatisfied or somewhat dissatisfied with the smell of the water. The study further revealed that 59.9% of the participants perceived their water to be highly unsafe or somewhat unsafe. The water quality laboratory analysis revealed that the water contains several minerals such as magnesium, calcium, and fluoride in large quantities, which correlate to the “unpleasant” taste of the water as described by the community. The study recommends a more thorough treatment process by NamWater to remove excess minerals (magnesium and calcium) that are responsible for the hardness and lime taste of the water