How are we paying more today and getting less than we did 10 years ago?

The first and the gist of today’s column was: Would you have your child delivered in the same government hospital where you were born? We will dwell on this because Ugandans on Twitter are currently sharing their horrific experiences from interactions with the country’s health system. From the looks of it, the answer to Edward’s question would be a resounding no.

The second, which we shall shelve for when the focus inevitably moves to education was: Would you take your child to the same public primary school you went to all those years back? We shall get back to this down the road when schools and teachers get their day.

But let us go back to a story I have probably alluded to in the past. It is from about 10 years ago, on the evening of October 5, 2012. Together with my two cousins and an uncle, we were on a Fort Portal-bound bus, to celebrate my grandmother’s 80th birthday. We didn’t make it to Fort Portal that night.

Somewhere around Myanzi, in Mityana District, the front left tyre burst. I remember the moment because you don’t forget that sound. You don’t forget those next few seconds. Bedlam. And then silence. And bedlam all over again. I remember telling Keith, my cousin, who was sitting next to me, in such a matter-of-fact way, “I think the tyre has burst. The bus is going to overturn.” And it did.

Soon after, the police and well-wishers rushed to the scene and started off by whisking off those who were in bad shape.  Destination: Mityana General Hospital.

You have probably seen opposition politicians and supporters, medical doctors, and university students get shoved at the back of police pick-ups and under the seats. Let me tell you now that if ever you have a road emergency, the back of that police truck is likely to be your ambulance and hearse at the same time if the accident also involves loss of life.

When we got to the hospital – as you would expect in an emergency – the medical personnel were overwhelmed. But that doesn’t explain why the windows were broken and without panes. When it rained in the night – as it did that night – water came into the ward and those who had made their beds on the floor had to quickly find new shelter.

Or why the few available beds didn’t have mattresses or any beddings so you had the option of sitting all night, sharing with another or making do with whatever you could. Thankfully for us, a Good Samaritan offered blankets and we found space to sleep after receiving first aid.

I googled Mityana General Hospital and the images show that there is a new hospital complex that was constructed. Good job. But like we said, statistics and nuances can only be found depending on what you are looking for from the fine print. If you go look up the #UgandaHealthExhibition on Twitter and simply add “Mityana Hospital” to the search, you will find stories and images of accounts shared this week and it looks like for patients and attendants, the hospital is still in 2012

And that is the tragedy for Uganda. In many respects, the passage of time doesn’t necessarily translate into any level of progress – regardless of the investment made. Driving around Kampala would make you sicker today than it did 10 years ago.

Accessing treatment in any given government facility is probably a lot more laborious than it was 10 years ago. We have more senior government officials seeking treatment abroad than we did 10 years ago – even if they are the same ones allocating a lot more money to health than they did 10 years ago.

Mr Rukwengye is the founder,                  Boundless Minds. @Rukwengye