Kitgum hospital makes case for upgrade to regional status
Women who have delivered attend to their children on the floor of the maternity ward at Kitgum hospital. PHOTO BY JULIUS OCUNGI
What you need to know:
- Established in 1934 with a capacity of 246 beds, the facility has gradually been receiving an overwhelming number of patients.
Health workers and leaders in Kitgum District have appealed to the government to upgrade Kitgum General Hospital to regional referral status.
Established in 1934 with a capacity of 246 beds, the facility has gradually been receiving an overwhelming number of patients.
Records indicate that the hospital’s inpatient and outpatient departments annually attend to at least one million patients from East Acholi, parts of Karamoja, and South Sudan, as well as refugees from Palabek settlement in Lamwo District.
Ms Margaret Ageno Abola, the assistant district health officer, said the facility is already operating at the capacity of a regional referral hospital.
She said: “The hospital receives at least one million patients from the East Acholi districts of Lamwo, Agago, Pader, and Kitgum. Some patients come from the Karamoja Sub-region and parts of South Sudan. Worst of all, the refugee burden in Lamwo has also increased on our patients.”
Ms Abola, who is in charge of maternal and child health, noted that the hospital meets all the standards of referral hospitals regarding structuring and patient turn-up, noting that upgrading presents opportunities such as the deployment of consultants, more equipment and funding.
“We often run short of drugs, we lack consultants and even the beds are not enough. We have presented our requests to the district executive committee and the Health ministry but they haven’t yielded fruit,” Ms Abola said during an interview last week.
She explained that due to failure to offer some services, they often refer patients to Gulu Regional Referral Hospital in Gulu City, which is some 120 kilometres away.
Health workers at Kitgum General Hospital sometimes ask patients to buy drugs from outside health facilities whenever they run out.
Mr Christopher Obol Arwai, the district chairperson, acknowledged the challenges at the hospital, saying the matter was presented to President Museveni during his visit to the area on April 27.
“We have tried to create a platform for advocacy so that our case can be attended to, including personally addressing this to the President. We would like you to humbly extend this request further so that this hospital can be upgraded to a regional referral hospital because, by any standard, nothing stops it,” he said.
During evening hours, patients who are admitted to the hospital flood the walkway, floor, and verandah due to the shortage of beds and space.
Some patients, who asked for anonymity, complained that they are asked to buy most drugs from outside.
“We wonder why a government hospital should fail to provide medicines and enough beds for patients, like for me and my colleague here, we have been buying painkillers from the clinic since were admitted here,” a patient in the surgical ward said.
Dr Patrick Twesigye from the Aids Control Programme at the Ministry of Health promised to table the matter to his bosses for redress.
On April 27, while attending the thanksgiving ceremony of State Minister for Disaster Preparedness and Refugees Lillian Aber, President Museveni acknowledged the challenge at the hospital and pledged to engage the Ministry of Health so that it is addressed.
Recent pledge
On April 27, while attending the thanksgiving ceremony of State Minister for Disaster Preparedness and Refugees Lillian Aber, President Museveni acknowledged the challenge at the hospital and pledged to engage the Ministry of Health so that it is addressed.
