The state of Tororo Hospital leaves a lot to be desired

The Chinese have a good old saying that “We all look but see differently. Sight is a function of the eye while vision is a picture of the mind”. How accurate these medieval times philosophy can be!  They go ahead to add that “Wisdom is a luxury everyone must possess”.

Not to be outdone in the art of wise sayings, The Nigerians came up with a proverb  which says:

“The river does not flow through the forest to bring down trees but rather to nourish them”. I think these philosophers of years gone by had the power to see and speak to things that would happen in the future.

Unfortunately, the people living in modern times have  ignored the ancient wisdom and are busy living in selfish denial.

I say this in reference to a video someone posted on the Transform Tororo Community WhatsApp group platform, about the state of the main referral Hospital in Tororo. He had arrived with a patient at 1 am in the night only to be greeted by a ghost establishment with no personnel to attend to his patient.

That video was one of the most ignored posts I have ever seen on the platform. I have a feeling it was ignored most likely because each one of us has probably experienced a similar situation and therefore it’s considered normal. Secondly, it received lack of attention from members because people have come to accept the situation and have probably given up any effort to grab attention from the powers that be, to try and change the situation. Tororo Hospital has been left to rot with neglect and yet it’s the beacon of hope for our people. Many go there to die in peace.

All the above factors notwithstanding,  I wish to  again evoke the Nigerian saying I quoted above. “The river does not flow through the forest to bring down trees but rather to nourish them”.

I would like to address this saying to the leaders of the people, especially in Tororo. You the Members of Parliament, District leadership, Local Council leaders and all that have power to enforce positive change in the district.

It’s true Tororo hospital is in a dire situation. But what are you the leaders doing to address the situation? Who is supposed to do the quality control checks to ensure the drugs allocated to Tororo reach the hospital and the people are accessing it? Who is supposed to supervise the operation of the healthcare providers? Who is supposed to take the problems of our people to the national legislation table? To lobby the government to equip our health centers? How many times have you MPs, District Officials, Local Council officials, come together to address the problems our people are facing? in regards to health care?  Like Dracula I’m certain you will again make a beeline for fresh endorsement back to the eating table. One thing I would like to know from the “Wise Sayers”; Do ticks continue to suck blood even when the cow is dead?

During my recent sojourns in Tororo, I had conversations with many people including my 65-year-old sister Jane Adikini, a widow, singlehandedly running a family of nine. Jane is a sickly old woman who has been in and out of hospitals. I asked her if she usually gets help from these hospitals and her answer left tears in my eyes.

She held my hands and said: “My brother, God in His divine wisdom has a way He looks after us. To many of us just reaching the hospital is enough. I think it’s therapeutic. Just the feeling that you are in the hospital makes us start to feel better and it doesn’t matter whether you see a doctor or not. If you are lucky and the doctor touches your cheeks or checks your temperature and says something to you, you will even be discharged that very day feeling much better”.

That’s how helpless our people have become! You wonder, do they have leaders to fight their battles? Weren’t they the ones that made you a river that flows majestically along the forest of poverty as leaders? Are your actions nourishing our people or pulling them down?

Mr Oboth is a development communications specialist, journalist public relations practitioner.