The State of Health service delivery and financing: CSO perspectives (17.03.2019)

The Saga of the New Cancer Machine of Mulago was not a two-year scheme!

Let’s be honest and clear, the story of the Cobalt 60 Teletherapy Machine from the mid-90s, who was not sufficient and had not been changed within time. Was not a two-year long waiting period of nostalgia, it was mismanagement with the cost of lives and devastation. Any government caring about lives, would have planned and made sure of funding for a new one, long ahead, especially considering the last one was bought in the mid-1990s. This is the true acts of maladministration and misuse of state reserves. That is evident, and also that the Ministry of Health, who only had one these, couldn’t make sure the procurement went softly and made sure the facilities could be fixed in time to put in a new machine. Even if it matters of lives and people’s serious treatment.

Only two year?

“After almost two agonising years of waiting, cancer patients will breathe a sigh of relief after the new radiotherapy machine arrived into the country this week. It was shipped from Czech Republic through Mombasa port with guidance of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a United Nations body that regulates use of nuclear and atomic energy. Purchased at 642,000 euros (more than Shs2.7b) by both government and IAEA, the machine replaces the old cobalt 60 radiotherapy machine, which broke down beyond repair on March 27, 2016, leaving about 2,000 patients without proper treatment and some people died in the process” (Ainebyoona, 2017).

What about 2013:

Because I have a letter dated back to IAEA from Dr. Byahagaba from 28^th May 2013, where the funding of 325,297 Euros was deposited to the UniCredit Bank, Austria, Vienna on the 22^nd May 2013. This was funding for the purchase of Cobalt 60 Teletheraphy Machine. Therefore, the Daily Monitor or the Mulago Health Care Complex has given som wrong information.

If not the final instalment for the purchase of the machine has come in the aftermath, which is a significant sum of monies, since it is 315,000 Euros that has appeared and made sure the buying of the machine finally appeared.

This sort of acts should not let it go easily, that a state with millions of lives, that are in-charge of making sure their citizens are healthy. Only has one Cancer Machine and that one has been out of function for two years, and it took about at-least 4 years, since 2013 to be able to purchase the equipment and use it for the public benefit. Clearly, the National Resistance Movement (NRM). Isn’t worried about losing their citizens or making sure the health is in check. Surely, the do not worry, since the President sends his own kin abroad to give birth. He knows the meagre state of the facilities of where he has resided and run. He eats the reserves and leaves scraps behind. The evidence in the 4 years in the making of the Cancer Machine. It is good it is there, but the time and effort is mediocre at best. Nearly depleted and destructive, as the concern of the cancer wasn’t even there. Peace.

Reference:

Ainebyoona, Mmanuel – ‘New Cancer Machine finally arrives into the Country’ (12.08.2017) link: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Sigh-of-relief-as-Shs2-7b-cancer-machine-arrives/688334-4054904-vf8309/index.html

Steady Regress: Missing stocks at Arua R.R. Hospital, again!

Again, a hospital under the ruler of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni gets sinking with either the staff getting sacked, missing equipment or allocated funds dispersing. Arua Regional Referral Hospital we’re founded in 1939. So this is not built on the merits of National Resistance Movement, this is a hospital that we’re running before NRM existed.

Much funding in recent years for the day-to-day operation has been through the SUSTAIN and Anti-HIV/AIDS program of USAID. That lasted for 5 years and we’re run by partners University Research Co. LLC and Integrated Community Based Initiatives (ICBI). This lasted until June 2015.

The missing equipment now at hospital isn’t new as in February 2016 this we’re reported:

“Arua Regional Referral Hospital is struggling with an acute drug stock out. Information obtained by URN shows that the hospital has been operating without essential drugs for the last two months” (…) “As a result, patients are diagnosed and referred to private facilities to buy the necessary medicine. Christine Atizuyo, an expectant mother told URN that she was asked to pay Shillings 10, 000 and buy medicine from a private facility, when she visited the hospital for antenatal care recently” (…) “Dr. Darlington Akusa, a cancer specialist at Arua Regional Referral Hospital, says they are struggling to provide health services to patients due to lack of drugs. He says currently they only examine patients and prescribe for them medication, which they have to buy from private facilities” (Ariaka, 2016)

So that the regional hospital lacking stuff isn’t new, it is just systematic the way the NRM sees fit for the importance of the Health Sector and the well-being of its citizens. Surely the NRM might have funds for vaccines and medicines through GAVI, but they have stolen that in the past and surely in the present if needed. So with the knowledge of this the government continues to pass the buck and give enough to supply the hospital.

This will happen again as long as the NRM regime continues to rule. They just don’t care instead they uses fortunes on expenses and luxurious lavish lifestyle for the current Members of Parliament. Peace.

Reference:
Ariaka, Robert – ‘Arua Hospital Grapples With Drug Shortage’ (16.02.2016) link: http://ugandaradionetwork.com/story/drug-shortage-hits-arua-regional-referral-hospital-patients-forced-to-buy-drugs-from-private-clinics-#ixzz4HzefUF6a

 

 

Steady Regress of Health Care in Uganda; Only 20 gets to Aga Khan in Nairobi not 400 cancer Patients; also other issues in the decaying health care!

“There is lots of tear gas in every police station but there is no medicine in the hospitals. Trust me, I am a mother. I will heal this country with love” — Maureen Kyalya Waluube

As the weeks goes the mitigated reports of the down-fall of the common-health care and the depleted systems from the Government have made and controlled for 30 years. The torn and crossed fingers and the light-speed of embezzlement of funds come forwards as the most recent ones is just more disgusting.

There been reports of 400 out of 17,000 was supposed to be lucky cancer-patience’s. Now this was been said during the week:

“  A statement sent to The Observer on Tuesday April 19 read “The Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi (AKUH-Nairobi) announced today that it will work with the Government of Uganda to provide as many as 400 cancer patients with free treatment in response to the breakdown of Uganda’s only radiotherapy machine” (…)”But now Dr Orem says the offer can at best may cover no more than 20 cancer patients. “The offer of the treatment of Aga Khan is confirmed but the clarification is that they are offering 400 fractions or dosages of radiotherapy not 400 patients to be treated. What that means is that; one patient may take more cycles or may take more fractions of treatment. So that means in all fewer than 400 will be treated. I think that needed to be clarified. Only average maybe about five or six [doses per patient]. What usually happens is that the doctor calculates of the amount of dosage of radiation that a patient needs. It may be above 30 then you divide that in what we call fractions or sessions the patient should have”, Orem says” (URN, 21.04.2016).

So instead of having the surplus 16,600 who the country doesn’t have the potential to send to the Radiotherapy treatment they might need. Now it is down to 16,980. That 16,980 that is sad number if they only takes 20 people. 20 people, then it is the ones that closest connected to the NRM regime and the rest are on their merry. This is just an insult from the Government of Uganda and also their partner in Aga Khan who even during the pre-election period got more land in Uganda! Disrespectful!

Well, there is more disgrace from the Ugandan Government and their health-care units. As Remmy Bhati of NBS TV Uganda writes: “Apparently, this is Mulago National Referral Hospital in a total black out. Iam here attending to my special patient. Power has been off for close to 3 hours. No candles, no generator, no Solar. Patients are receiving treatment on torches. In this period of a black out, three patients have breathed their last because machines couldn’t work without power. The on duty nurses on a night shift have tried their best to save the patients but in vain. Watching people die because of Electricity is very hurting” (Remmy Bhati, 22.04.2016).

The situation is dire as there been Power outage for the last 4 days at Mulago hospital, the old Kings Hospital of Mulago. This was the proud hospital, that doesn’t even have a radiotherapy machine and doesn’t even have electricity to ordinary function of the hospital. It is just sad to write it and bleak state of affairs. This is not steady progress. This is steady regress. And it is actually worse.

At the Soroti Referal Hospital have not had power for a week. Because of that there are no surgery happening at the hospital and that is sad enough. With the knowledge of similar actions and loss of electricity in Mulago and the same conditions, but longer at Soroti says it a systematic failure.

One doctor serves 15,000 patients. In Arua Referral Hospital there are only 4 doctors! That is also a visible sign of the maladministration and lack of funding of that hospital. 4 doctors! That you have two hospitals without electricity and one with nearly enough or few doctors is nearly an ordinary building not a hospital. Since at a hospital you should get treatment and healing of sickness and diseases! Peace.

Reference:

URN – ‘Aga Khan hospital may treat just 20 cancer patients not 400′ (21.04.2016) link: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/43793-aga-khan-hospital-may-treat-only-20-cancer-patients-not-400