Responding to concerns raised by residents, Dr. Kyabayinze instructed Mukono District Health Officer, Dr. Stephen Mulindwa to open a General Enquiry File with police to establish the facts surrounding the claims.
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Dr. Daniel Kyabayinze, the Director of Public Health at Uganda’s Ministry of Health Uganda, has ordered investigations into allegations that a private doctor has been using government facilities at Mukono General Hospital to perform surgeries on patients while charging them high fees.
The directive was issued during the National Community Health Baraza held on Friday evening at Kisowera Primary School in Mukono District.
The public dialogue was organized to strengthen community engagement, promote accountability and gather feedback aimed at improving health service delivery.
Responding to concerns raised by residents, Dr. Kyabayinze instructed Mukono District Health Officer, Dr. Stephen Mulindwa to open a General Enquiry File with police to establish the facts surrounding the claims.
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Residents alleged that a doctor who is neither employed by the government nor on the public payroll has been using the hospital’s theatre to carry out surgeries for private gain.
“Doctor, have you heard? The doctor does not work in that facility, is not on the government payroll but uses the government theatre to operate patients. Open up a GEF for police to help us provide answers,” Dr. Kyabayinze directed during the meeting.
The allegations were part of several complaints submitted in writing by community members. Among the concerns raised were claims that private doctors were benefiting from public facilities, questions about the conduct and deployment of intern doctors, and a lack of transparency surrounding the hospital’s private wing.
Addressing the issue of interns, Dr. Kyabayinze clarified that medical interns cease to hold that status once they complete their prescribed training period at a facility.
Mukono General Hospital has previously faced complaints about interns and volunteer medical workers allegedly demanding money from patients.
The hospital’s Medical Superintendent, Geoffrey Kasirye, defended the establishment of the private wing, saying it is legal and accessible only to patients who can afford to pay.
He explained that the unit does not rely on government-supplied resources under Grade B services and instead follows its own procurement procedures, including purchasing medicines from the National Medical Stores.
Despite this explanation, several residents argued that the private wing was prematurely established and remains underutilized.
Richard Aliwali, chairperson for persons living with HIV in Mukono, said very few patients request admission to the private wing, leaving the facility largely empty while other departments struggle with congestion.
He pointed to the maternity ward, where mothers are reportedly forced to give birth on the floor due to overcrowding, and to situations where children and male patients share wards because of limited space.
Meanwhile, Mary Kaitesi, a Village Health Team member from Namubiru, alleged that expectant mothers—particularly those referred for caesarean sections—are charged heavily before receiving care.
According to her, some patients are billed between Shs300,000 and Shs600,000 depending on their perceived social status, and in some cases doctors delay attending to them until payment is made.
However, Dr. Kasirye dismissed the extortion claims, noting that similar allegations had been raised before, leading to arrests and the interdiction of some staff members. He declined to reveal their identities but added that mothers who pay fees fall under Grade A services.
Beyond the controversy over private practice and fees, community members also called for increased facilitation and equipment for Village Health Teams, improved support for Health Centre IIs to handle safe deliveries, and expansion of the hospital’s maternity ward.
John Paul Bagala, Technical Officer for Safe Motherhood at the Ministry of Health, said congestion at Mukono General Hospital reflects a growing shift as more women abandon traditional birth attendants in favour of delivering at health facilities.
He noted that government has strengthened Health Centre IVs across districts and upgraded Kayunga General Hospital to regional referral status to ease pressure on facilities in and around Kampala.
Bagala also said the Mukono District Health Office had assured him that recruitment of additional medical workers was underway.
However, Fatumah Ndisaba Nabitaka, the Resident District Commissioner for Mukono, cast doubt on the immediacy of the recruitment, citing the absence of a functional District Service Commission.
She explained that after four years without a commission, a newly constituted body was again suspended following allegations of bribery.
As a result, staffing gaps persist, leaving the existing health workers overwhelmed and forcing facilities to rely on shift arrangements to maintain services.
The Baraza ended with renewed calls from residents for transparency, stronger oversight and faster reforms to ensure that public health facilities serve communities equitably and without exploitation.