Acting director general duties in the health ministry, Prof. Anthony Mbonye.

According to the acting director general duties in the health ministry, Prof. Anthony Mbonye, the pre- entry exams will help sieve out the incompetent medical interns and not see the competent interns allowed to train at all government facilities who later will be taken on by government as full workers.

Prof. Mbonye adds that the country now chan out a huge number of medical practitioners who are sometimes not to the required standards and thus the need to have them examined before allowed to practice at any govt health facilities.

It should also be noted that the country has in the past week seen a series of demonstrations from intern medical students from Mulago and Gulu hospitals who claims that they have not been paid their allowance and yet they do the donkey work at these health facilities with the demonstrations paralyzing business at these health facilities.

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Hon. Elioda Tumwesigye flags off ambulances procured under UHSSP. Photo credit: MoH

Members of parliament on the Parliamentary Public Accounts committee of parliament were upset by discovering that the Ministry of health supplied to health facilities in the country medical equipment and these are laying on their verandas.

In the meeting with Ministry of health officials led by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of health, Dr. Assuman Lukwago , MPs observed that  the medical equipment  worth 24  million dollars, out of 130 million dollars procured under Uganda Health System Strengthening project  in 2009/2010 and became effective in 2011, were supplied to health centers without needs assessment from hospitals.

The committee chaired by Serere district woman MP Alice Alaso  were saddened to learn that in Mwizi health centre in Mbarara district  medical equipment for a theatre was delivered with the hospital not having a theatre and the equipment are laying on a veranda. MPs also noted that in Iganga hospital an incubator was supplied without a staff operating it which has caused the medical officers in this hospital to wrap up premature babies and put them in this idle incubator.

MPs dug into the matter after the Auditor General conducted a special value for money audit in this project. The project was to help in the rehabilitation of 19 hospitals, 17 general hospitals and two regional hospitals for Mubende and Moroto and 27 health center fours and three. Part of this money, 30m, was meant to support the reproductive health component and 85m US dollars to improve on infrastructure.

Some of the visited hospitals included Pakwach, Mubende, Aduku, Mwizi and Iganga. The Auditor general team found that supply of equipments were made in 2013 but remained lying idle  in corridors and verandas.

The officials faced it rough when asked by the committee to produce the project coordinator Peter Nsubuga who was not in attendance since his contract had expired last week 17th August according to the permanent secretary Asuman Lukwago.

The committee recommended that Nsubuga avails himself to parliament and if he fails police is to arrest him by this week to explain why they never had an assessment form before supply of equipment that now lies idle in hospitals. The Permanent Secretary Asuman Lukwago admitted to and apologized before the committee for having setback this project which needed to reduce on the infant mortality rate.

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Children who have been contacted with an adult with TB (Tuberculosis) should be examined and get screened for TB.

If you have had a persistent cough, keep babies surroundings clean, airy and dry.

Early diagnosis and successful treatment of an infected adult is the best way to protect our children against TB.

BCG immunization protects children mainly against the development of TB meningitis and its free at government health facilities.

Ends

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Terrible! Uganda government is set to fine women and girls who give birth at their homes. The move is intended to quash the trend of women who shun hospitals during pregnancy.

The leaders of Adjumani district in northern Uganda explain that the law has been made because many women experience unsafe deliveries in their homes.

According to the new law, the women and their male partners would both be penalized. However, sections of Ugandans have criticised the move saying that some pregnant women walk over 30 miles to reach nearby health facilities.

Nixon Owole, the district chairperson of Adjumani says the law has been put in place to force women to utilise the health facilities. He added that the law is meant to promote safe deliveries in the country.

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The opposition MPS who included Hussien Kyanjo , Richard sebuliba Mutumba  Mathias Mpuga and Dr. Lulume Bayiga led by the leader of opposition Nathan Nandala Mafabi  visited Mulago hospital to assess the  health service delivery  at the  hospital and knowing  how the money which has been sent to Mulago has been used .

The MPS observed that the health facilities at Mulago are the worst and patients live in poor conditions in congested rooms which were meant for few people when the country’s population was still small.

The mps noted that Mulago hospital has poor facilities where by the patients sleep on the floor together with their attendants, hospital floor with potholes, toilets are in bad state, some hospital rooms have no lights and hospital roof is leaking.

The leader of opposition Nandala Mafabi blamed the hospital administrators for making president Museveni visit renovated side of Mulago instead of him visiting the dilapidated side of Mulago so that he takes action.

The Director Mulago hospital Byarugaba Baterana told opposition MPS that the congestion in Mulago is high because of the increased number of patients on daily basis and asked mps to support 88 million dollar loan from African Development bank for renovation of the hospital and decongest it.

He asked mps to support the increase in the hospital staff remuneration, recruitment of more health workers and more funding for patients food.

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