The opposition shadow minister for health wants the public accounts committee of parliament, Inspector general of Government and the Auditor general to investigate the problems affecting Mbarara referral hospital.
Dr. Lulume Bayiga says the parliament’s accounts committee and the IGG’s office should specifically investigate the act of charging patients money by the health workers.
Bayiga also wants the IGG to investigate claims that some essential drugs do not reach the hospital pharmacy and yet they are always disbursed by the National Medical Stores.
Mbarara hospital faces a problem of congestion, understaffing, lack of staff motivation, shortage of drugs, lack of X-ray machines among other challenges.
On a visit to the hospital on Monday, Bayiga and the leader of opposition in parliament, Nathan Nandala Mafabi encountered patients who openly accused the health service providers of being corrupt.
Aisha Kanyata, a resident of Agip ward in Mbarara municipality claimed that he was once turned away from the hospital after she failed to raise Shs.40,000 to have her grandchild undergo a throat operation.
Kanyata told MPs that she was asked by the dentist at the same hospital to pay Shs.5,000 to have the tooth of her 9 year old grandchild removed.
Attendants like Emmanuel Mujuni from Katerera in Rubirizi district, despite spending two weeks at the hospital, said he has failed to access X-Ray services. Mujuni was attending to a girl child in pain after developing a swollen stomach. He claimed that he has been referred to a private clinic for X-ray services.
The only X-ray machine at Mbarara hospital broke down years ago. Patients who can part with 20,000 shillings are now referred to Goodwill Image centre owned by one Muhimbura Godfrey, who used to operate the grounded machine at Mbarara hospital.
The acting hospital administrator, Regina Nyangoma declined to comment on these claims, instead asking journalists to get out of her office.
Opposition leader, Nathan Nandala Mafabi promised to push for more government attention to the health sector after discovering what he called the mess at Mbarara referral hospital.
Mafabi noted that it’s a shame for people to die of minor complications at referral hospitals, yet such cases could be easily handled if all the needed facilities were place.
