t was also reported that the hospital lacked sufficient drugs and that some doctors, nurses and medical students on internship solicited for bribes to treat patients.
This situation may not be unique to Mbale Hospital alone. In fact residents of Mbale may be lucky to be near a hospital at all."
Mbale's 'Torch Perations' Tip of the Iceberg
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The Monitor (Kampala)
February 6, 2003
Posted to the web February 7, 2003
Kampala
The ministry of Health is to investigate why surgeons in Mbale Hospital have to use torches at times to complete surgical operations (Ministry Probes Mbale Hospital, The Monitor, Feb. 6, P. 4).
This follows a report in The Monitor that the hospital generator did not have an automatic switch and was sometimes faulty due to neglect (Mbale Doctors Operate Using Torches, The Monitor, Feb. 5, P. 1).
It was also reported that the hospital lacked sufficient drugs and that some doctors, nurses and medical students on internship solicited for bribes to treat patients.
This situation may not be unique to Mbale Hospital alone. In fact residents of Mbale may be lucky to be near a hospital at all.
As an American expert notes, 12 million people walk over 5kms to a hospital in Uganda (12 million Walk 5kms to Hospital, The Monitor, Feb. 6, P.7).
The report said 47 percent walk to health centres that have no drugs to offer patients.
This clearly demonstrates that the old woes affecting health services are not about to end.
Many of the problems are beyond the individual hospital's control. They are to do with the meager health budget.
The ministry of Health asked for Shs 231bn for the financial year 2002/3. The government slashed it down to Shs 204bn. If it was also affected by the 23 percent reduction to fight rebels in the north, that leaves about Shs 160bn.
Because funding is insufficient, many hospitals like Mbale get monthly releases that can barely last them two weeks.
And in addition to luck of supplies, doctors, nurses and support staff are underpaid.
This explains why several doctors now shun government service and open up private clinics or look for greener pastures outside the country.
If the health services are to improve, there must be a political will to give more and more funds to the ministry. There is also need to treat health as a priority service just the same way government rushes ministers abroad when they fall sick.
NRM NO CHANGE!!!
