Mukono school seeks financial help after poisoning
Some of the students receiving first aid treatment at Nakanyonyi Secondary School on July 20, 2023. PHOTO/FRED MUZAALE
What you need to know:
- For now, only three students of the 150 who were admitted are still in hospital but under the care of their parents.
Nakanyonyi Senior Secondary School management has appealed to the government to extend financial assistance to help the school clear an outstanding hospital bill of more than Shs6m to cater for more than 100 students, who were hospitalised after alleged poisoning.
The students are currently admitted to different health facilities while others have been discharged.
According to the school head teacher, Mr Amos Balongo, they are struggling to raise the money since they are responding to an emergency.
He said St Francis Hospital had detained three students at their facility after they failed to pay an initial bill of Shs800,000, which was reduced to Shs500,000, following negotiations.
“Vision for Africa Hospital alone is demanding Shs6.2 million to cater for 48 students who were admitted at the facility and all have been discharged,” he said.
Naggalama hospital admitted 98 students and is yet to issue them with a bill.
He called on the government to rescue them. However, the school has arranged counselling services beginning today to help students to overcome the trauma.
For now, only three students of the 150 who were admitted are still in hospital but under the care of their parents.
Last week, district officials committed to clear bills for the victims at the various facilities but when contacted, Mr Peter Bakaluba Mukasa, the Mukono District chairman, said the district has no money to clear such hospital bills.
“It was an emergency, let the medics have a patriotic heart and give free medication instead of asking for money,” Mr Bakaluba said.
Government at the weekend began inquiries to establish the alleged poisoning of hundreds of students at Nakanyonyi Senior Secondary School in Naggalama Town Council, Mukono District, where nearly 200 of them were hospitalised in Naggalama, Mukono and Kayunga hospitals.
On Friday, the government temporarily closed the school to give room to doctors to handle the situation and police to conduct investigations. Parents stormed the school asking to leave with their children but were denied access.
The Mukono District health officer, Dr Stephen Mulindwa, in an interview with this publication yesterday, said there is no cause for alarm and that the situation was under control.
Police response
The Kampala Metropolitan police spokesman, Mr Patrick Onyango, said they had not received a conclusive report from the hospital on the status of the learners.
