Four major health centers in Bukomansimbi district have been hit by severe drug shortages, putting the lives of some fifty thousand patients at risk.
The affected health centers are Butenga Health Center IV, Bigasa Health Center II and Milambi Health Center II found in Kibinge Sub County. Also affected is Kitanda Health Center II.
Dr. Julius Amumpe, the acting Bukomansimbi district medical officer says the health centers recently run out of anti-malarial drugs due to high demand. He says the health inspection team found only panadol tablets in Milambi and Bigasa health centers while the others were empty.
Amumpe says it is not clear why National Medical Stores has not yet supplied more drugs given the fact that Butenga Health Center IV, which supplies these drugs to other lower health units, sent requisitions way back.
John Lwesabula, a resident of Mpaama village in Kitanda sub county says it is now very difficult for them to access health services in the sub county because when he took his expectant wife, Stephanie Najjingo to Kitanda health center on Saturday for medical checkup, he found no one to attend to him.
He claims that as a result of the failure to get medical examination and drugs he decided to take his wife to a traditional birth attendant who gave her herbs.
At Butenga Health Center IV, the biggest in Bukomansimbi district, the health workers have been rendered idle due to drug stock out. When URN visited the area on Monday, about 15 patients were stranded without basic drugs.
Peter Ssejengo, one of the affected patients said when he took his son who got an accident to Butenga for treatment, the health workers told him they could not attend to him because there were no drugs. He says he is disappointed because the health workers could not even help dress up his son’s open wound.
A health worker at Butenga Health Center IV who refused to identify herself told URN that the drug stock out is out of their reach. She said National Medical Stores usually supplies more of none essential drugs with little anti malarial drugs, which are highly demanded due dominance of malaria.
Susan Namaganda, the Bukomansimbi Womam MP claims that the drug crisis has claimed the lives of several patients in the district because they cannot afford private medical services.
Namaganda said over 50000 patients are at risk of death due to inaccessibility to drugs. She promised to petition parliament this week to summon National Medical Stores officials and the Minister of Health to explain the persistent drug crisis.
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Bukomansimbi district does not have a health center at the Hospital level. The patients have to travel several kilometers to either Masaka Regional Hospital or Kitovu hospital for specialized medication.
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