In a wrap up address after her inspection round, Nabbanja concurred that Mukono district is in dire need of a support staff boost, but expressed appreciation that the oxygen plant at Kayunga was operational and with a capacity to generate a surplus to supply to other units.
During her visit to ascertain the exact state of the health sector in Mukono district, the Prime Minister Robina Nabbanja was given a brief about the exact challenges affecting the people of Mukono.
Mukono District Health Officer (DHO) Dr. Stephen Mulindwa reported that the district health department is operating in an under capacitated situation with an acute staffing shortage, and insufficient facilities especially in the maternal and child health section, with newly delivered mothers in the main referral at Mukono being accommodated in a makeshift tent.
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Dr. Mulindwa was last week conducting the Prime Minister Nabbanja around health facilities under the directive of the President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni following a report by a journalist, David Mwesigwa that there was dire shortage of requirements to effect adequate health service delivery in certain facilities.
Mwesigwa, a media correspondent attached to Galaxy TV told President Museveni, shortly after his nomination at Lubowa, that there was an acute shortage of facilities like beds and staff at Mukono General Hospital, adding that at Namuganga Health Centre III, the medical staff are unavailable over the weekends.
Nabbanja toured Mukono General Hospital, Namuganga Health Centre III and Kayunga Regional Referral Hospital where she realized that despite inadequate equipment and staffing, business was in process, and promised to ensure that where shortages appear, the government will do all in its power to make redress.
Dr. Mulindwa also reported to Nabbanja that some lower local governments lacked a single health facility, and cited Kasawo with no Health Centre III as stipulated by the Ministry of Health policy, and Namataba Town Council with no single facility.
He also said the General Hospital at Mukono has only one obstetrician and gynaecologist, no neuro-surgeon and no paeditrician.
The DHO was echoed by Mukono Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Elizabeth Namanda when she said that when Mukono General hospital was elevated to its status from health centre IV, no marching infrastructure was provided, forcing management to improvise by putting up a tent to accommodate newly delivered mothers.
Namanda said that at Namuganga, medical workers are fewer than the load of clients seeking services, noting that the entire district needs a scaling up of the number of medical staff concurrently with the wage level for their remuneration.
In her report, Mukono Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Hajat Fatuma Ndisaba Nabitaka emphasized the point of absence of an adequate channel through which to channel the district’s health service requirements, and attributed this to politicians not supportive of government policies.
RDC Ndisaba expressed optimism that since the Prime Minister promised to report her findings to the President, there is hope that the shortcomings will be addressed in due course.
“She promised to get us a bigger tent to accommodate post-natal mothers”, Ndisaba noted in a media interview.
In a wrap up address after her inspection round, Nabbanja concurred that Mukono district is in dire need of a support staff boost, but expressed appreciation that the oxygen plant at Kayunga was operational and with a capacity to generate a surplus to supply to other units.
She thanked mothers for frequenting health units for pre- and post-natal care, saying this is the beginning of safe delivery and child health care delivery, with medical professionals advising them adequately after examining them.
