A Parliamentary Committee has discovered that patients are avoiding health facilities due to unqualified staff and lack of functional medical equipment in Gomba and Butambala Districts.
During a fact finding mission, the Committee on Health also discovered that shortage of drugs in government hospitals has affected service delivery in the two districts.
The Committee chaired by Dr. Michael Bukenya (NRM, Bukuya) visited various health centres in Gomba and Butambala on 19th August 2017.
The Committee on Health which was on a fact find mission revealed this during their field visit to various health centers in Gomba and Butambala districts.
“We have moved to various health centres and found that most of them lack essential drugs to give to patients as first aid,” said Hon Helen Kahunde, the Vice Chairperson of the Committee on Health.
She said that this had resulted in a reduction of the number of patients visiting these government hospitals.
“When we visited Ngandu Health Centre III, we barely found any patients and the Maternity Ward was also deserted,” she added.
The Acting Medical Superintendent of Gombe Hospital, Dr. Samuel Sekamatte, blamed the lack of medicine to the delayed supply by the National Medical Stores (NMS). He also said that NMS supplied less medicine than what is requisitioned.
At Ngandu Health Center III, MPs found only a Nurse and a Laboratory Attendant out of the eight staff required for the facility.
The legislators discovered a non-functioning X-ray machine and unqualified staff in Gombe Hospital, while Madu Health Centre IV in Gomba district, had a non-functional theatre.
Dr. George Kiwanuka said that the theatre, which was constructed in 2003, did not meet the required standards as it lacked running water and proper drainage system that are key requirements during surgery.
He said that the theatre required Shs 70 million to provide the water and sewerage system.
Hon Kahunde cautioned medical workers to maintain proper hygiene in the health facilities so as to encourage the communities to seek their services.
